Fallen
by lSilverFoxl
Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface. (Note: Many ships will sail and sink such as FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku)
1. Chapter 1: Fall

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink such as FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Extra Note: I remember finding the prompt somewhere on Pinterest and it looked interesting, just leaving this out there.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Fall

* * *

England had been taking a walk after their meeting has ended. The garden that surrounded their current venue is a familiar and comforting presence as he digests the information from the meeting. The sun is bright and high in the noon sky. England couldn't help but smile as he looks up and takes in the view of a clear noon sky. He rarely sees these sorts of things back at home where the sky is dark and cloudy, moody and rainy at a moment's notice.

In his distraction, he did not see the hole in front of him, hidden by the bushes and the tall grass that crawled through the forest floor. It was at this moment that England fell, tripping over a root of a tree and tumbling head first into this hole. His screams echoing as he passed by dirt and soil before blacking out when he hit the bottom. England's last thought is that he hopes that it's not France or America that finds him in this hole. They wouldn't stop pestering him if they did.

What England did in fact not know is that the hole he had fallen into is a rare thing called a 'Plot Hole'. When one falls into a Plot Hole, they are forced into a cycle of plots, these plots will take you and the people you know and twist it to become a situation suited to that certain plot. It will continue to do so after the plot has been fulfilled. England, as a country has added some new rules to this curious hole, seeing as countries are immortal and have memories of dating back to hundreds and thousands of years.

This meant that England would remember each and every plot he was cursed to live through as well as maintaining the ability from the last prompt (if there is any such as shape shifting, magic, so and so).

This also meant that England had to be aware of the prompts he would live through, as if given the general idea of a role in a horrid play that loops. As such, when he woke up, he woke up to a bland room with a large poster with his first writing prompt stamped proudly onto it.

"Huh? Where…am I?" He mumbled as he scanned the room.

It felt like a bland hospital room, all white with a bed with white sheets and the only spots of colour being himself and the poster in front of him.

"Odd, am I trapped here?" He wondered out loud. His voice echoed back. England shuddered at this, rather creepy in his opinion.

A note popped into existence before him, picking it up it read, _'Only until you touch the poster, stay as long as you like. If you need or want something then think of it and it will appear in existence.'_

England frowned before focusing on an explanation of what is going on.

Nothing happened.

Sighing, England decided to read the poster. After all, the note did say it will transport him. He's sure that meant he'll be transported to that place or something similar.

The poster in front of him is a simple colour with black text on it. The poster described what seems to be a writing prompt. It went on detailing how during a bank robbery the criminals recognize the person only for the person to learn their high school sweet heart is now running a global crime syndicate with the person being on a 'No Harm' list. The person then decided to visit that person after how many long years.

England should truly thank all those Sherlock books as he deduced that the poster transported him into the scenario written on it. He wondered if after he finished the scenario he could escape. Tentatively, he reached out to touch the poster, the surface of the poster rippled. He pulled back. It settled and became smooth once more. Licking, his lips, England stretched his hands once more to touch it.

The poster rippled once more and England continued to push. It rippled and wavered like a puddle being splashed until he finally disappeared through the poster.

He began to fall once more, spiralling through a sea of black and he closed his eyes, waiting, with bated breath, for this fall to end.

* * *

He woke up in an apartment this time. The walls are a soft blue, there's a music stand leaning against a wall, the place is large but still cramped in a good way. There's a book shelf, with books stacked upon books and a line of trophies from various music competitions, photos of him as a child with a proud smile holding a trophy up to the camera.

He stood up from his place on the bed and headed towards the sheet music. After all, it's obvious he lives as a human here. He can't call himself by his country name. England wonders who took the picture for a few short moments as he checks the label on the otherwise smooth clear book.

'Arthur Kirkland'

So that's his name.

He searched through the shelves this time, checking for a journal that explained who e was in this world.

A moleskine notebook, good it means he's on to something.

He cracked it open, raising an eyebrow at the basic information written at the first page.

 _'Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 23_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British-American_

 _Occupation: Professional Violinist_

 _Backstory: Arthur Kirkland is an orphaned boy who shined bright as a talented violinist. However, though many families have tried to adopt him, they later couldn't as they felt he was being too much to handle with his strong distrust for these families as he used to be living on the streets. As he went through high school, he met a man named Alfred Jones who then became his boyfriend as they bonded over being orphans who were picked up from the streets. Arthur is now a successful violinist who composes his own music and making a name for himself in the world of music.'_

Eng-no, it's Arthur for now, hummed at this. So he's a professional violinist eh? He glanced at the sheet music to realize it's his own composition with his name neatly printed out on the right corner. A phone pinged. Startled, England glanced around for where it is until he realized it was on the bedside table. He picked it up and checked it to see a reminder that said:

 _'Go to bank to withdraw rent money'_

Simple, Arthur mused. He supposes that could be due to the fact that it's trying to push him through the scenario. It did state that Alfred, whoever that may be, was his high school sweet heart.

With a sigh, Arthur got dressed and ate some breakfast, he has a feeling this will be long day. Especially when Arthur checks his contacts to see this Alfred's number still there. Arthur gulped when he saw the contact photo.

Smiling back at him is a bright picture of America, posing for the camera with a victory sign, his glasses shined in the light while the grin shone brighter. Instead of the military uniform, America is wearing a brown jacket and a white button up shirt and an olive green tie. His hands are covered by black gloves.

So it seems that he used to date America then. He frowned before shaking his head and pocketing the phone. He might as well accept it and move on. That America is way different from _his_ America who's still back on _his_ Earth rather than this odd phantom of a home.

* * *

The moment Arthur arrived in the bank he knew how much money he needed to withdraw. Luckily, nothing much happened before, or during the transaction but the moment it was done the bank was broke into by a pair of robbers.

They both had their faces covered while gloves covered their hands with a gun held straight. People screamed and mothers held their children, people shying away from the robbers, the staff looked nervous in their place. The moment they saw his face though, the robbers immediately withdrew.

"Hey, boss, is that him?" One of the robbers asked. His eyes are wide with fear as he gestured to Arthur.

The man referred to as 'boss' nodded his head, "That would be him. Come on, we don't _him_ to get us!"

They ran.

Luckily it didn't pop up on the news though they do have police catching the robbers. When asked what happened, Arthur told them the truth. He was there, they seemed to be scared and that was it. As such, they let him go and he was off to finish up the last part of the prompt.

* * *

Time to talk to Alfred, Arthur mused, he called the number that has clearly been untouched for years. As he lifted the phone to his hand, he waited and waited.

 _Click_

"Hello?" Arthur took a deep breath. Alfred sounds exactly like America. This is getting weird.

"Hello, Alfred. It's me, Arthur. I know we haven't seen each other in years," He gently mumbled into the phone. "But I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind."

"Haha! Of course I don't mind," Alfred replied.

Arthur played with the hem of his sleeve. "Is it alright if we meet up? This sort of question isn't exactly okay to talk about over the phone."

"Alright," Alfred agreed, "Where are you by the way?"

"I live in Devon hills. If you're ever in town or can make it then head to Pines View Park," He instructed. Arthur closed his eyes.

It truly is strange talking to a person who you know isn't truly that person.

"Whoa! This is weird. I live in the same place too. Hold on, I'll be there as soon as I can,"

The call clicked as Alfred hung up on him.

Arthur hoped he won't have to wait long. He's not sure if he can bear the sight of a man who looks like America, acts like America, sounds like America and in general America in all but name and memory. It would be like seeing the shadow of a person who you once saw as happy.

* * *

Alfred arrived in half an hour later after their call. The man looked taller, brighter, with an edge of something dangerous. Arthur knew this thanks to his years as an old empire that lived. Alfred could be likened to a knife covered by cloth, pleasant with a hint of something dark.

"Hey, Artie, it's been years since we've seen each other!" The man grinned as he came up to him.

Arthur smiled softly at the man, he considered acting his usual angry front but the backstory wouldn't line up. "Hello, Al," He's not sure where the nickname came from, "I need to ask you…"

Arthur looked into Alfred's sky blue eyes and asked him, in all seriousness, "Why am I on your 'No Harm' list? Not like I don't appreciate it but…"

Alfred's eyes softened at this as he moved closer. "Oh Arthur," Arthur moved and allowed himself to be pulled closer until Alfred was holding him so gently as if he would break. "What we had in high school is the reason I was sane. I was rising to the top and you were my light. Think of it as a thank you for being that light."

"Al…?" He mumbled. It's so _different_ because he can hardly imagine America, _any_ version of America to be troubled deeply.

"Arthur, I…I want what we had to be ours again…" Am-no, it's not America, its _Alfred_ in this cut out scene. Arthur bit his lip. He knows it's a scene that's scripted and made for whoever's amusement. The poster had written for this to happen but… he can't help it.

Arthur fidgeted. The pleading eyes of Alfred gazed back at him. "Al… I missed it too,"

Alfred grinned at him with a smile as bright as the sun.

"May I kiss you?"

Arthur looked up and gave him a smile of his own. "Please do,"

The moment they shared a kiss, the world began to fade. The feeling of Alfred's lips on his, so soft and gentle for someone so bright and bold fading along with it, gone like a whisper in the wind.

England opened his eyes to the bland room with the only thing from that world being a violin. The words on the poster changed and England can't help but feel hurt from the fact it felt so real only for it to be yanked away. It may have been a role to play but it still hurt. After all, those were the eyes of America looking into his own.

(For a distant moment, England wondered if this blasted room knew his deepest desires or the possible relationships that could have been in the past. If so, then he hopes that all of those would not end as starkly as this one did. For all he can see when he closes his eyes are the soft blue eyes of Am-Alfred staring back.)

* * *

 **Wow! What a way to end the day. (For me at least XD) Man that was fun to write, I'm planning on making this a series of one shots based on writing prompts. At most, I plan for this to last 20 chapters and at least would be 10. Anyway, I hope it's been an interesting read!**


	2. Chapter 2: Tattooed Heart

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

* * *

Chapter 2: Tattooed Heart

* * *

England stayed in that room for about two days.

He reflected on what had happened, the emotions he's felt and the thoughts that drove him mad. He's hurting and he knows it. After all, he could have been happy there. He could have not. He's still a country with a job to do.

In the end, he decided that the best thing to do is be grateful for the experience like he has felt when he had fallen as an empire and move on. There's no use thinking of 'what if's and 'it could have's when in the end you can't change it. England sighed as he realized he was staring at the violin from the…he can't keep calling it scene, prompt made it seem less real, perhaps he should call it play? Yes, it sort of felt like it, going along with a predesigned role in a play.

Well then, it's no use simply staying confined in here when he needs to find a way out. So far his only lead is the poster in front of him. A note popped up in front of him, curious he opened it to see what it said.

'Your way out is through the poster, you fell down a plot hole and now you have to climb yourself up.'

England crumpled the paper and tossed it to the side of the room. He should get on with it then, hmm? As he approached the poster, he frowned as realized the theme of the next…play. This time, it spoke of tattoos linking you to your soul mate on one arm and your enemy on another. Most people don't know which, but you do seeing as you have the same tattoo on both arms.

He might as well get on with this. He supposes he's going to be called 'Arthur Kirkland' again and pushes his hand through the poster.

* * *

He's falling again. The world is blurring around him and the wind is whistling in his ears and his hair is flying. It's like he's falling through the hole again but soon he hits a surface. Sadly it wasn't a bed or an apartment but a park bench instead. With a wince, England stood up and stretched, wincing at the throbbing pain on the back of his head.

That hurt like hell!

He noticed something weighing down in his jacket pocket. He took it out to see a familiar moleskine, the smooth black front looked so innocent. He flipped it open and noticed the front page still had the profile on the one with the criminal syndicate. The next page went from blank to filed, words occupying its previously empty page.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 23_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British_

 _Occupation: English Teacher_

 _Backstory: An English teacher who went to America in order to escape the harsh memories of his home going up in flames, Arthur Kirkland is now teaching at a school called 'Hetalia High'. No one knows his secret about his tattoos thanks to the fact he always wears long sleeves. However, while he fights a lot with the French teacher, Francis Bonnefoy, no one knows him as well as Francis does. This leads him to suspect that Francis is in fact his Enemy and Soul mate._

 _Note: Today is the anniversary of when his home went up in flames. His three brothers died in the house with only him being able to escape.'_

E-Arthur shook his head. French teacher, easily he knew it was France. Hopefully it won't end up being as starkly similar as Alfred had been to America. Though, knowing his luck, Francis would be _exactly_ like France. Still, that doesn't explain why he's a park. What if it's a school day?! In a panic, he checked his phone for the date and sighed in relief when he learned it's a Sunday. It's one thirty-eight in the afternoon.

Still it doesn't explain why he's in a park.

As he wandered around, he realized it looked like the park he had met Alfred in, complete with the name 'Pines View Park' when he checked his location. However, as he continued to wander, he spotted an exact France lookalike running towards him. His blue eyes were wide with astonishment as he tried to slow down. In Arthur's shock at seeing him, he had stayed frozen and Francis ended up bumping into him.

He stayed on the ground, Francis having suck out his arms in order to catch himself, only to be greeted with the view of Arthur beneath him. They stayed like that, shock and surprise colouring their features. Arthur blushed when he realized their position. He had been staring into those cerulean blue eyes to remember what just happened.

"Get-get off me you bloody wanker!" He yelled, all too familiar with this emotion.

Francis scowled as he scrambled off of him. "You could have asked nicely!"

"You could have simply gone _around_ me instead of heading _straight for me!"_ He retorted, getting up from the ground.

"Then why didn't you move eh?! You were standing there like you saw a ghost!" Francis growled.

"I must have seen one considering who _it is that's running towards me_! You looked like Kermit the Frog there for a second that I couldn't help but do a double take!" England raised his voice, going up toward Francis and looking him in the eye.

"Kermit the Frog," He scoffed, "You look like you crawled out of a dumpster!"

Arthur growled and in his lividness he forgot for a moment that this wasn't France, who had been there for as long as he could remember. As a comfort that he could always fall back on and in that moment of forgetfulness, he forgot that they probably didn't physically fight here. All he could feel at that moment had been the familiar heat that surged through his veins and the rhythm of their bickering that he went into what was their normal next step in these fights, physical attacks.

He tackled Francis and Francis went down is his surprise, until they were rolling around on the ground, wrestling each other.

"He- Hey! What's gotten into to you?" Francis asked worriedly.

Eng-Arthur stopped as the heat left his veins. Instead it was a cold and numbing shock that froze him as he went limp. Right, this isn't, it isn't- _he_ isn't France and they aren't countries anymore. Not here that is. He rolled on his back, tired and sad. It's hard to separate them when they act and look so alike. He closed his eyes in order to stop the tears from coming out. He can't cry over some bloody _wanker_ but… the France he knew is a close friend who understood him as much as he understood France. This- this man, this _copy_ of France didn't have that sort f history with him.

"Ah!" The panicked voice of Francis burst through his thoughts. "Why- Arthur- you- you're crying! Is it because of what I just said?"

Oh right.

England sat up and wiped away the tears as quickly as he could. "It's nothing! You didn't say anything you bloody wanker!"

Francis startled at the outburst. "Hey! Don't be so rude, I'm trying to be nice here!"

England shook his head and buried it in his hands. He's Arthur here. The notebook said it was the anniversary of his home bursting into flames yes? Maybe he should go with that. With the experience of a seasoned actor, he slipped back into the role of Arthur.

"Look, it's none of your bloody business!" He answered. He had enough creative freedom to go about why his home went on fire. So maybe it could be some sort of depression period? Yes, maybe he wanted to burn the tattoo marks but was unable to and the house went into flames.

There. That explains why he hides his marks. Bullying, depression, unable to look at the reason why his home went into flames, Arthur could have smiled if he wasn't busy crying.

"What's up with you? First you wouldn't move when you saw me running, then you go and start a fight with me and now you're crying, make up your mind!" Francis ranted, flailing his arms around as he went on.

"Look! It's because- I have reasons okay?!" He glared, stepping back up in front of Francis.

"You want to talk about them?" Francis gently asked, the tension leaving him as he watched Arthur crumpled into a heap.

"No. I do not want to talk about how my home burned down and how it's _my_ fault!" He yelled. Arthur took a deep breath and said softly. "My home burned down, my brothers alongside it and I'm the one to blame,"

Francis escorted Arthur to a nearby park bench and sat down next to him, an arm casually flung around his shoulders. "I'm here for you, Arthur,"

"I-I'm the one who started the fire." He mumbled. "I was…in a bad state at the time and in my desperation, I thought that maybe-maybe if it's gone then I won't be bullied. Then maybe the teachers won't look at me with pity and the others won't call me 'freak', you know?"

He gazed up at Francis, Arthur allowed himself to look shattered, to be completely and utterly _broken_.

"You aren't a freak, Arthur," Francis replied. England wanted to smother a laugh. Of course this copy would be as emphatic as France had been. Externally, Arthur shook his head in denial.

"I am. After all, look!" He rolled up his sleeves and revealed the matching tattoos on both arms, two roses next to each other, one blue and one red.

Francis froze.

"See, you think I'm a freak too, don't you?" He whispered, as he turned away from Francis.

"No Arthur, I don't." Francis answered firmly.

Francis rolled up his sleeves as well, displaying the same tattoo that covered both arms. "I have it too…"

"Francis…?" Arthur mumbled, as he looked at Francis with new eyes.

" _Mon amour_ , I've found you." He smiled at Arthur and all England could see was when France had once comforted him. England slipped into the role of Arthur once more and held onto Francis, crying into his shoulder.

* * *

The next day, the two of them were back at school, Francis had arrived with a bouquet of blue and red roses. He waited at the front of the school. As Francis had expected, students saw this and whispered amongst themselves until they saw Arthur arrive and Francis giving him the roses. Arthur blushes but otherwise held the roses glancing around before giving him a hasty peck on the cheek.

Lunch time saw Francis and Arthur eating lunch together before Francis gave Arthur a quick kiss on the lips. A student saw this and spread this to the others until Arthur was eventually questioned in class time.

"Excuse me, but uhm, I was wondering about you and Mr. Bonnefoy," A brave student asked.

Arthur merely smiled at that student and replied, "If you're thinking about whether or not he's my soul mate then yes, he is."

The students began to whisper amongst themselves while Arthur chuckled, teenagers. "Now speaking of soul mates, I want you to read page number 349…"

Once more the world faded around him. The white board, the classroom, and the students all fading back into the bland room he had been in. At least this time he has some sort of closure. England mused as he stepped out of the role of Arthur. Still, that had been much more emotional than he intended. When he was with Alfred, he was able to separate America from him but France had been hard to separate from Francis.

He frowned. He'll have to make sure to stress it to himself that those aren't the countries he knows. They aren't America or France, but humans. Yes, perhaps he should treat it as a play, those are the role that were given, even if they look like America or France, they aren't as those are two different people.

(England prays he won't end up shattered by thinking of this all as an elaborate play. A play filled with people who look and act the same as the countries he knows but still a play. He prays his mind won't break and the world won't crumble when he takes the role of an actor. It's one thing when those people know they're acting with him but it's another when they're unaware.)

* * *

 **Woo! Finished with chapter two, haha I realized that it's past lunch time so I should go eat now haha! Anyway, I hope this was a fun read. I wasn't sure how to approach this until I realized I could do the prompt I kept seeing on Pinterest about the tattoos, I figured it would best fit FrUk for this seeing as France and England have a complicated bicker-friendship vibe going on so they could be the enemies and the soul mates at the same time.**


	3. Chapter 3: Red String

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here. (If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

* * *

Chapter 3: Red String

* * *

England took a far longer time calming down from that…play. Unsurprisingly, he took up the violin that stayed within the room. It _has_ been a while since he played any sort of instrument. He had tried his best to ignore his arms and the tattoos on them but in the end he continued as always, accepting it as a part of life in here. He found himself gazing at the newest play on the poster with apprehension. After all, first it was Ame-Alfred, the second happened to be Fran-cis so who would the third be?

Only one way to find out, he thought to himself as he kept the violin in its case and moved towards the poster. He glanced down at the tattoos and clenched his fists before taking a deep breath. Hopefully this one will have clearer lines. The next play told about how he has the ability to see the red strings of fate for everyone and his own red string trailed to the sky.

The poster rippled once more and he fell. The world warped around him in a dizzying spiral. The wind rushing past him, the colours blurring together as he fell. England hoped it won't be like the last time where he landed on a park bench and ended up hitting his head on it.

* * *

This time he landed in a classroom. Just as the bell rang the end of school, the afternoon sky is painted a bright orange and England covered his head in order to save it from the impact.

He lifted his head when he realized it wasn't hurt. Huh, he didn't hit his head this time! Lifting up his head, he scanned around the classroom. It's empty save for himself, the blackboard in front held chalk writings of an English assignment due on Monday. A glance at the clock told him it's passed school time. He picked up the bag and checked it, notebooks, a school book or two, a pencil case.

The familiar weight of the notebook in his pocket pulled him back to his current situation. Right, the storyline, he should see what role he has now.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 17_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British-American_

 _Occupation: Student_

 _Backstory: Having always been able to see the red strong of fate, Arthur's mother had taught him about the secrets of magic and the supernatural. Arthur's own string of fate leads up to the sky. He often wonders about the sky and in fact talks to the open air in hopes that one day, he'll have an answer. He often does this at night, preferring to gaze up at the stars and dream. One day he hopes to become a journalist or a writer._

 _Note: His parents are rather distant and often leave him to enjoy their never ending string of vacations. One day he wants to leave them and cut his ties from them for good.'_

Alright, so he has his magic here.

Still, he followed the red string that led above, going through the roof as if it weren't there. Who could be on the other side of that string? Would it be some copy of Spain named Pedro, Arthur snorted, that would be an interesting image. Then he wouldn't be able to take the story so seriously though. After all, as Shakespeare had once said, 'All the world's a stage.'

Right, he should get going now. It's getting late. He exited the school and allowed his feet to lead him somewhere. Soon he found himself on a hill close by, settling down and watching the sunset.

"You know, I find it lonely when I see these people with their strings connected to other people. I have some classmates who are connected to each other, some are dating, and some are not… Still, whoever you are, I hope we get to meet each other one day,"

The string vibrated.

Arthur raised an eyebrow as he realized that the sun has long gone and instead it's the full moon that greeted him. He glanced at the string and realized it was leading straight towards the moon. Oh, the moon? Who's often connected to the moon? Let's see…China? Japan? They seem to fit the moon.

The string keeps vibrating, moving up and down as if it was being plucked. He sat up with anticipation, his eyes glued to the sky. After a few minutes of silent trepidation, he watched as an entire _parade_ came down from the sky, he could tell its Eastern in origin, almost as if some sort of East Asian royalty was coming down from the moon.

"Huh?!" He found himself exclaiming, he expected maybe some astronaut but not whatever _this_ is!

Lanterns held by servants, guards stationed on the outside, all of them on a cloud that descended from the night sky. Specifically, the moon, all the while his red string kept growing shorter and shorter as he watched it lead directly to the carriage in the middle. As the entourage lined up before him, he stumbled backwards; the form of dress is much more common for Japan so he's holding his breath in anticipation for what he's sure to be Japan.

A servant cleared his throat, "Please allow me to present the humble ruler of the Moon, Emperor Kiku Honda!"

The doors of the carriage opened to reveal Japan sitting nice and proper, Arthur's red string connecting right towards him.

"Greetings, Arthur Kirkland," He greeted, "I have listened to you for many nights. Though, it is only now that I can finally answer back."

Arthur flushed, he's not sure what his previous counterpart talked about but still Kiku must had enjoyed listening to him speak.

"You do not need to answer now, but I wish for us to begin courtship," Arthur wondered if this Kiku was much better at being assertive or if it's because he's an emperor.

Still Arthur felt like he should answer now. He looked at Kiku in the eye and replied, "I agree to your offer, Emperor Kiku."

Kiku exited his carriage and moved closer towards him. Kiku smiled softly at Arthur, "No need to call me Emperor, my fated one."

Arthur knew what this was. "I…Will I have to leave Earth?"

"Only if you want to," Kiku replied gently, his eyes warm.

"Then, I would like to finish schooling here." He answered.

Kiku merely nodded his head. "I didn't expect anything less. You are driven,"

Arthur took a deep breath, "Sit with me?"

Kiku looked at his entourage and sent them away for their privacy. The only ones that stayed were his personal guards who kept a distance.

"What would you like to talk about?" Kiku asked as he sat next to Arthur.

Arthur hummed, thinking about what to talk about. Well, he glanced at the face of Kiku. While Kiku knows a lot about him, he didn't know much about Kiku.

"Tell me about yourself, your favourite colour, season, what's it like on the moon?"

They stayed like that for the rest of the night, Kiku telling him about himself, how he enjoys the spring season because of the way life comes back after the dead winter. He listened to Kiku talk about how the kingdom on the Moon is softly glowing and a beauty to behold. In turn, Arthur spoke of the days of longing when he gazed at the red strings ( _lies)_ or how he find it calming to gaze at the night sky ( _he hasn't even been here for longer than a day.)_

They talked and talked and inside England felt like a filthy liar. He felt like a liar who took the place of Kiku's true love. After all, what Kiku said about listening to him implied that he merely took the place of someone who's supposed to be here.

All the while Kiku listened and talked with a smile on his face. England felt like a liar and a cheat, to this man who's genuinely happy to talk to him. He knows this is a play, a lie, a gimmick but to Kiku? Its truth and life and as real as the moon, the earth and the sun in the sky, but nonetheless he fell back in the role of Arthur Kirkland.

All too soon the night had to end, Kiku returned to the Moon with great reluctance while Arthur tearfully said goodbye.

Then Kiku left and he was alone to watch the colours of the sky change to a light golden hue mixing with the light blues already there.

However, the world did not fade away, nor did it go back to the bland room. Confused, England checked the phone to see that it's another school day. Confused but unconcerned for now, he headed back home to an empty house. He fixed a cup of instant noodles. He doesn't feel sleepy at all, surprisingly. Maybe it has something to do with Kiku? Ah well, he should prepare for school.

Time passed enough for him to arrive early at school, though the moment he sat in classes the world faded to black for a moment before coming back with the sound of a bell. He glanced at the clock to see it's the end of school again. Strange, almost as if it was forcing him to skip through to the better parts. Arthur felt that the term play is starting to fit this more and more.

He headed back to the hill he sat on.

Night fell and Kiku came back with his usual set of guards.

"Good night, my fated one," He greeted with a smile.

And so it continued their talks lasting all night and soon Arthur felt less like a liar. He's been here for a week. The world continued to fade in class time and coming back to the end of the day. Arthur quickly immersed himself in the role of the student whose string connected to the emperor of a kingdom on the moon.

Then one day, as he headed to his usual spot, he bumped into a tall man with blond hair and a nasty scowl on his face.

"Hey watch where you're going!"

He apologized and ran off to his usual spot. However, he remained unaware of the fact the man followed him until he laid there with a smile on his face watching the setting sun with eagerness and anticipation.

As expected as night began to fall, Kiku came down with his guards. The man who was hiding realized who this was and left, his amber eyes flashing dangerously.

The night continued onwards, Kiku speaking with Arthur and Arthur talking back.

* * *

The next day was a Saturday so Arthur figured he should stock up the fridge. He's not sure how long he'll be here after all. On that day, he got out of the role of Arthur and allowed himself to be England. He glanced down at his arms; the tattoos were gone, which is a good thing. He'd rather not tell Kiku about the tattoos on his arms.

He's surprised he isn't as…emotionally volatile…like he was with Francis. To be fair he and Japan are great friends, this version of Japan, Kiku, is much more open. England figured it would be thanks to the red string.

He went out to the grocery, getting what he needed and maybe a bottle of milk tea.

As he headed back home, a man shadowed him, eyes tracking him as he entered his home and put away the groceries. The man checked the sky, almost sunset. The target should be heading to the usual spot as before.

Arthur headed to his usual spot on the hill, bringing with him a thing or two he'd like to share with Kiku. However, as he waited there, a hand reached out to cover his mouth, an arm snaking to put him in a choke hold.

"Scream and I'll kill you," A gruff voice said, Arthur couldn't do anything but nod, he's not sure if he could be killed seeing as he's human in here. Arthur watched as the sun dropped easily.

His own hands were lifted up to wrench the arm away from him in a vain attempt at escape. Still, he had a part to play, a defenceless student, the same age as the youngest Emperor of the Moon kkingdomingdom. This must be a part of the play because it seems too scripted to not be.

"Mmhmphmmhm!" He exclaimed, wriggling this way and that as Kiku came down with his guards.

Almost immediately, the guards went into formation around Kiku while Kiku asked the man, "Who are you? What do you want?!"

The man cackled, Arthur couldn't help but look at Kiku with fear. He's fine if it's _him_ after all, he knows this is merely a play, a song and dance where he'll end up sulking in a room before moving on. Kiku on the other hand… England wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Kiku would be dead and gone for life, and then the Kingdom would have Kiku's younger brother to look up to.

"I'm nobody. However, _Emperor Kiku_ you have to give me amnesty in your little kingdom or your precious little fated one dies,"

Arthur rolled his eyes at this and glared at Kiku as if to say 'Don't bother'. Kiku on the other hand kept a straight face, though Arthur could tell Kiku was doing the most subtle version of a grimace. His lips were set in a straight line and his brown eyes were hardened as he went over the decision.

"Time is ticking, Emperor," He gleefully reminded, removing the hand over Arthur's mouth to take out a knife.

He brushed the knife against the sides of Arthur's face and he paled, oh shit.

"Sol Proditor, known criminal in the Sun Kingdom for assassinating the brother of King Alfred, Prince Matthew." Kiku identified, stepping through his guards while clenching his fists at his side. Arthur gazed at Kiku in desperation. His green eyes open wide in hope of communicating one single message to Kiku, 'Don't do it.'

Kiku walked closer and closer until he was face to face with Sol and Arthur.

"I, Emperor Kiku, hereby-"

Arthur shook his head vigorously. Damn it Kiku! Don't do it, he yelled in his head. Knowing him though, Kiku would actually give the man amnesty if only to make sure he's safe.

"Bonk!"

Sol released Arthur and turned around to see who hit him in the head. Turns out it's…Denmark? Arthur shook his head, no way! Why is _Denmark_ here?!

"Grr!" Sol tried to tackle the Denmark-lookalike but was instead tackled to the ground from behind by a Norway-lookalike.

"For assassination of Prince Matthew, threatening the Emperor of the Moon and assaulting earth civilians, you are under arrest!" The Denmark-clone declared, flashing him a badge in the shape of a golden sun.

Meanwhile, Kiku held Arthur in his arms, "Arthur, are you alright?"

Wincing, he touched his throat, "A bit sore really, other than that, I'm fine,"

"Take him away, Lukas!" Denmark-clone declared with a bright grin.

'Lukas' glanced at the Denmark clone with a deadpan, "I already am, Mathias. Go talk to the nobility to see if they're injured. We don't want them to ask for money from the Sun kingdom when we have enough debt as it is to the Sky kingdom."

"Haha, right," Mathias replied, a sheepish grin on his face.

Mathias approached the two of them. "Hello, I would like to say thank you for having one of the guards contact the Sun kingdom the moment you got here. I guess you figured he was native to the Sun kingdom seeing as he has the typical blond hair and golden aura huh?"

Kiku nodded, "It is the least I can do. I am grateful you managed to get here in time, otherwise my beloved would have been injured,"

Arthur blushed and ducked his head, "Kiku, I would have been fine!"

Kiku gave him a flat stare and raised an eyebrow, his eyes darting toward his neck.

Mathias cleared his throat, "Right, if that's all that there is, then we should probably head back home."

So, they watched as the policemen or at least, the Sun kingdom's version of policemen left in a ray of light, taking with them the cussing and anger filled Sol.

"I suppose now, you wish for me to continue my studies in the Moon kingdom?"

Kiku gave a quiet laugh as he pulled Arthur closer until their foreheads are pressed together and they're looking each other in the eyes. "After all that and yet you ask about your education?"

"Well, knowing you, you'll do that or send some guards with me to shadow me during school," Arthur protested, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Alright, we'll see about that. For now, let's enjoy the moment."

And they did. Kiku leaned over to kiss him and he kissed back. As they finished their kiss Kiku whispered to him as he brushed away some hair to cup his cheek, "I love you, Arthur."

"I love you too, Kiku," Arthur replied.

As if those words were the triggers to end the play, the world faded away to the bland room he was in before.

* * *

England felt as if something within him had died inside at this fact. While the first two weren't really romances to cry over, this one _had_. He spent a week over there, spilling his heart out and listening to the other. A week learning about how Kiku enjoyed springtime and how the lights on the Moon kingdom reminded him of fireflies. He was promised to go see the place in all its splendour and he wanted to _scream_. Scream for another life that's been denied; scream for the pain in his chest and how he feels as if they cut off another part in him. Instead, he saw something hanging next to the violin, a silver crescent moon necklace with a brilliant moonstone hanging inside of it. The necklace is a reminder of the Moon kingdom and the Emperor who ruled it.

He checked his arms and the tattoos are back, the flowers the same as before.

(England wonders if this will ever end. If he's actually digging himself out of the hole he fell in by going through all those plays. He wonders if he'll get out happy or if he'll leave without the rest of his heart. For a moment, he wonders how Flying Mint Bunny would say or if the fairies would sing a little song to cheer him up. He wonders if he might actually miss the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan. He wonders if he can look at his fellow nations without breaking down or crying. But England mostly wonders if he won't end up as empty as he had been when America declared independence.)

* * *

 **Woah! That's a lot longer than I had anticipated! Just a little footnote but Sol Proditor is an OC meant merely for this story! You won't be seeing him anytime soon! Woo! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I tried to make this last a lot longer than the one day-two day romance England has had with Al and Francis. I would like to say the whole 'entourage with royalty appearing casually in front of person' idea was inspired by that part in 'The Cat Returns'! Anyway, as I have said before, I hope it was a fun read, have a nice day! (or night!)**


	4. Chapter 4: You Are Who I Was

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Note: Okay, so self-cest ahoy! Or well, it's hinted at, you can take their relationship however you want it to be either as purely platonic to a 'friends-with-benefits' sort of deal. Just leaving that message out for you all.**

* * *

Chapter 4: You are Who I Was

* * *

He wouldn't let go of the necklace.

England isn't sure how long he stayed in that room. His mind playing back the way Kiku had smiled, the way he would gently laugh or how he would be held in the arms of Kiku as they gazed at the night sky. He's not sure how long he stayed there, doing nothing but think. He could feel the arms wrapped around him like the phantom of a memory, Kiku's laugh and the gentle way he said those words.

'I love you.'

England couldn't help it. Not when he closes his eyes and remembers the pure _love_ in Kiku's eyes. He sighed. Kiku had truly and completely loved him. He's…not sure how to feel about that. As a country, he didn't fall in love. His relations were at most, friendships, plain and simple. So these feelings, while he knew they existed (his country does have a romantic side, though when compared to France it's obviously overshadowed), this is the first in how many centuries where he felt it again.

There's a pile of notes, crumpled papers that urged him to continue and move forward. England appreciates the thought even though it makes no sense how a blank room can have so much concern for its prisoner. Compared to the first two romances, they were short and fleeting, a whirlwind that flutters by before he has to get up and get going. With Kiku, it lasted longer. England can't help but feel a sort of irony considering that he's the one who had started the friendship with Japan, going to the man's home with a bouquet of flowers.

Maybe that's why he feels so cheated. Kiku maybe a much more assertive Japan but the way Kiku treated him was like _he_ was the one who hung up the stars to accompany his lovely kingdom on the Moon.

However, he has to keep going.

No matter how much he had…enjoyed? Loved? (England isn't sure what he's feeling anymore, he's afraid that if he acknowledges his feelings then it will only be ripped away from him again) He must soldier on.

He approached the poster, the necklace sitting prettily on his neck. The moonstone glittered like an unshed tear as he read the next play.

Green eyes tracing each line with barely hidden trepidation for what will come next, England couldn't help but frown. An immortal falls into the eighteenth century with memories of the twenty-first century. He's not sure if this means he'll be meeting a historical figure he had known or a nation from the eighteenth century. Still, he's sure nostalgia will hit him hard when he goes there. He gives the necklace one last squeeze before reaching out and falling down once more.

* * *

He's falling and already the scent of the rushing wind carries the scent of sea salt and a promise of freedom. He laughs because while he may be hurting that doesn't mean he can't enjoy the memories he has as a pirate. How he had laughed with a pirate crew and drunk away the sorrows in his past, back when he was young, wild and hurting. Back when he drunk away the sorrows and pains in the world until it was naught but a haze of plundering, fighting and laughing in the sea breeze.

Then he landed.

He landed on a large piece of drift wood in the middle of the sea with nothing but the clothes on his back and the necklace around his neck. He checks to see if he got wet or anything and out of curiosity, he checks if the tattoos were there. They are. He knows the necklace is there, can feel the weight on his neck. He sighed. He might as well check his role in this play.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 704 years old (physically 23)_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British_

 _Occupation: Historian_

 _Backstory: An immortal who was cursed by a witch at the start of the Hundred Years war is transported through time in a mishap when he confronted the witch that cursed him. Magically equipped and with many scars to tell about, Arthur Kirkland retired from decades of going to war and surviving because of his curse._

 _Note: Arthur used to be a pirate around this time period. He fell in love with a French man during the Hundred Years War named Francis.'_

Hmph, Arthur wanted to laugh, of course he would be cursed. Still, he's stranded here with nothing to help him other than his magic. He drew a circle and flicked his wrists with the intent on summoning a signal flare. The circle had runes and geometric lines as a fire flared to life in the middle and shot up to the sky. Satisfied, Arthur went to sleep, that should have grabbed the attention of _someone_ at least.

* * *

Arthur woke up to a splash of cold water and jeering laughter, the sun setting in the horizon and colouring the world a molten gold.

The moment he opened his eyes to glare at them however caused the laughter to die down. Arthur spotted the obvious captain of the ship, a bright red coat and familiar green eyes glaring at him with suspicion. Isn't it so strange to see one's own reflection when said reflection isn't flat or inanimate?

"Who are you?" The man asked and Arthur smiled blandly.

"Arthur Kirkland,"

Men gasped while the captain stalked his way towards him to yank on his tie.

"Are you telling me…?" He began dangerously, Arthur meanwhile narrowed his eyes to mimic his counterpart's facial expression but with a smug grin. "That you're me?"

Arthur whispered one word, "Magic."

His counterpart (he should give his counterpart another name now shouldn't he?) reacted immediately, tossing him to the floor and pinning him, he whispered closely.

"You tried to break it." It wasn't a question.

Arthur smiled sadly, "Keyword there being _tried_ ,"

His counterpart immediately got off him, green eyes old and tired. "Well, she must have _happy_ to see you considering where you are now,"

Arthur replied as he twirled his finger to dry his clothes. "Mind you she's a-"

" _ **Blasted witch**_ _,"_ They said at the same time. The two of them exchanged grins.

"Well, I guess _you'll_ have to call me 'Captain Arthur' now," Captain said.

Ah yes, Arthur remembered how utterly vicious and downright feral he had been as a pirate. Still, they knew each other well considering, they're each other.

"Arthur will have to do. Now, I suppose you should handle your crew," He fixed his clothes calmly, scanning the small group of men that Arthur knew were high naval officers that defected for some reason or another. These men had been loyal to him as he led them to freedom.

Captain Arthur nodded his head and began to speak with his crew. Arthur figured he was confessing his immortality or something. He licked his lips. The scent of the sea tickled his nose and the gentle breeze of the wind ruffled his hair. He leaned against the side. Closing his eyes, England couldn't help but remember his time as a pirate. The familiar flow of battle and his triumphs against Spain, the sea spray and the way he felt that the sea was the only place with freedom.

He could remember his crew growing old and asking him only for him to ensure they're all safe and happy when they pass on, having done what could be their final request before ensuring they were buried where they should be. The rest of his crew viewed him as some of fairy folk that actually belonged in the sea. Hah, one of them wondered if he was a merman once, he allowed them to think that seeing as it explained his youth.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, "Missed the sea breeze, huh Mr. Kirkland?"

He smirked, "It's been a long time since I could escape to the sea." He knew that voice anywhere, it was his first-mate a smart man named Owen Rains.

"Is that so?" Arthur was almost afraid to look; he had long allowed the smarting pain of the death of his first-mate to ease into a healing bruise until it hurt no more. He couldn't remember his face or his features. What he does remember is the way he talked and his name.

"Yes." He lifts up a hand to touch his necklace, the cold stone and the familiar crescent moon shape bringing a comfort to him as he thought of times long gone.

"Say Mr. Kirkland, does that necklace mean so much to you?" He asked, ah Owen, always the curious one.

Arthur couldn't help but open his eyes and gaze at the water. The sun had long set and now the only reflection there for him is that of the night sky. Seeing it, so bright against the dark canvas of the night and the full moon's reflection gazing back at him made his heart clench.

"It does, Owen." He straightened up, "If you excuse me, I have to go talk to your Captain."

He walked through the ship, ( _The Cursed Death_ he remembers it being called. He chose it out of a bit of irony that he felt matched the situation), walking through as if he had never left it to begin with until he reached the captain's quarters.

He knocked on the door. He knew himself best and knew how much he disliked being barged in on.

"Who is it?" It's strange hearing his voice when it's not him who's speaking.

"Arthur, I wanted to know where I'll be staying," Best not beat around the bush, he thought as the door opened to a presentable looking Captain.

"Come in, you'll be staying here with me. We don't have enough space for a 'guest' considering…" He glanced at himself. Arthur nodded his head and shut the door behind him. Considering the fact they're pirates, at most the guest quarters would also be known as the prison area if anything.

"I understand. Not only that but we're the same size, your clothes would fit me well for when my clothes inevitably needs cleaning," He commented as he took a seat on the large bed in the room.

It was poorly lit with only candles in here and Arthur lifted up a finger, allowing an orb of light to appear and float around. Still unsatisfied, he began making more until the little lights, like fireflies in a group, all floated around the room until it's as well lit as any modern room from the twenty-first century.

"I see we've managed to continue studying magic," He said as he sat across from Arthur, taking a chair from his study table to examine him closely.

"We have," Arthur acknowledged, piercing green eyes studying his pirate self.

With a captain's hat on and hair ornaments from hair clasps and flowing beads that swiveled and swished with him, down to the open red coat and the ruffles, Arthur smiled at this.

Meanwhile Captain Arthur couldn't help but stare at the necklace that hung from the other's neck. Moonstone, he recognized, silver chain and a crescent moon.

"Why wear a necklace?" He asked softly. Knowing himself, Captain Arthur figured it was a new sentimental piece from another person long dead. Maybe he received it in another war or a battle long gone.

Arthur wilted. His eyes lost their focus and his hand reached up to touch it. "Because I loved,"

"I loved again?" Captain asked solemnly.

Arthur gave his counterpart a bitter smile. England felt like the first one was barely even a romance; after all, the world had faded when they got together. Francis was a short and fleeting love like a dragonfly, filled with so many memories because of how much he both loved and hated France himself. As for Kiku, now that was a romance he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Twice, one was the reincarnation of Francis-"

"-The French we fell in love with during the Hundred Years War?" Captain asked with raised eyebrows. Surprise colouring his features as his eyes widened with shock.

"Indeed. The other one was a man from Asia, an emperor in fact." The captain zeroed in on the necklace immediately. Evaluating it with a different set of eyes, it's simple yet ornate and extremely detailed and the metal must be real silver. The stone has to have been a hefty price by itself.

"The emperor gave you that necklace." He stated. Normally acidic green eyes became soft and sad.

Arthur nodded his head. "He's gone now. They're all gone."

"Lost in the sands of time," Captain Arthur muttered. There's a knocking on the door and the announcement of dinner time.

The captain moved his head out the door and Arthur followed suit.

* * *

Dinner time was a strange affair. The crewmembers were slightly wary about talking to the man who is their captain from hundreds of years in the future. The way he dressed seemed simplistic beyond the necklace and from what they could glean, two tattoos on the man's arms. Arthur remained similar to their captain but much gentler, like the calm seas that rage and storm when least expected.

Then with a few bottles of rum, they grew warmer to him. He joked about the future, how the wine tasted much better and the sea much larger. He laughed at jokes and listened to tall tales. He told them a few tales of his own, about how he received the necklace from an emperor from the moon after he had saved his life. It was a whirlwind of laughing and pain from laughing too much. Arthur compared to their captain is a much calmer man that hid a storm and they all know it. They've all seen it within their own captain, no matter how hard he tries to keep them away from the storm he hides behind haughty laughter and jaunty grins.

Arthur was barely even tipsy, isn't even drunk, he's an immortal and that meant apparently a faster metabolism and detoxification when it came to things deemed as 'poison' which sadly included alcohol.

Captain Arthur and his counterpart headed back to the quarters while the rest of the crew were enjoying the high of the night.

The moment the door shut behind them Captain Arthur hung his hat on a coat hanger and stripped his red coat. Arthur in turn removed his jacket and tie as well as his leather shoes.

"You'll have to move on soon."

Arthur looked up startled by this.

Captain Arthur sighed. "Listen, from what I know, about you-me-we-us- I know we're sentimental. The last person- the emperor- you loved him. No doubt about it, as if Aphrodite fated for it to be,"

Arthur glanced away. Compared to his immortality as a nation, he was quite sentimental and as such a sort of person who gives their heart away when they love.

"It must have hurt. When he passed, because we- you and I- we can't pass away. Not until we break the curse. But still, your emperor wouldn't have wanted you to mourn, Francis wouldn't want us to mourn- well," He glanced away, his lips set in a thin line, "He wouldn't want us to mourn again now, hmm?"

Arthur moved close and in that intimate and most private moment where his counterpart bared his heart to the only person who understood him and knew him so well, they embraced.

"I understand where you're getting at Captain," He whispered. "Thank you for the reminder."

Captain Arthur blushed, "It's the least I can do to myself for surviving this long."

As they separated, Captain Arthur's face grew into a joking half-smile, "You know I've always been told to go fuck myself but I'm sure this isn't what they meant by that."

Arthur grinned at him. His green eyes dancing with mischief and playfulness. "That I'm sure off,"

* * *

The next morning, Arthur woke up to an empty bed and a note that said to stay inside. Arthur lifted up a hand to the walls and began pulsing his magic in hopes of 'seeing' what's going on.

Oh. A sea battle, he can sense the vibrations caused by hurried feet and people moving this way and that.

Then he felt it, a magical signature, strong and smug hiding in the background, standing right at the bow of the ship.

He knew what he had to do. Muttering a silent apology to his counterpart, he exited the room and scurried off to the deck, casting a silent spell to hide him from the people on deck.

He dodged swords and people as quickly as he could, from the corner of his eye he can see his counterpart duelling against Spain's copy in this play. As soon as he reached the bow of the ship he met a hooded woman, no one was going close to her or for that matter the bow if the ship. Arthur gave a wry smile, magic.

The woman pulled her hood down, revealing a woman with pale green eyes and freckles dotting her face, curly ginger hair that hangs loosely to her shoulders. England knew immediately whose copy that is, his mother Britannia.

"Hello, Arthur Kirkland. It seems that you and I have both ended up here," She greeted serenely.

"You again," He muttered as he cancelled the spell. "I've come to ask you to bring us back to our time and end my curse."

"On what grounds?" She tilted her head, pale green eyes unblinking and unseeing.

"On the grounds of magical treason against the Royal Family, namely the hand you've had in the death of Princess Diana of Wales." Arthur claimed. Behind them the clashing continued as is, though Captain Arthur occasionally glanced there before being forced to focus on the fight.

The witch frowned unpleasantly and thus took a stance. Arthur took his own stance, and without any warning, attacked.

They fought each other, magic against magic on the bow of the ship. The singing of metal and the clashing of blades dying down to a background noise as the sound of waves crashing and slamming against the sides of the ship. Clashing and growling, pushing and shoving their way until England began to tire. It's been so long since he had used his magic that his energy and stamina had long gone away!

Then the stone on his necklace glowed faintly and Arthur felt renewed.

He set aside the shock to take her down and vines came out of a summoning circle to capture her. The vines are strong and large, curling and wrapping around her until she's tied up and wrapped in the dark green vines, the sun high in the noon sky.

The woman grimaced before sighing. "You bested me in combat. Very well, I'm getting too old for this anyway. It's about high time that we both passed to the Other World."

She began chanting in an ancient language and they were bathed in a golden light. The light faded away to white and England is once again in the bland room.

* * *

This time he doesn't feel hurt, he doesn't feel betrayed or felt like he was a lying cheat. No, this time he felt grateful and happy to have met his pirate self as he had knocked some sense in him and he managed to vent out his feelings. He felt much…lighter than before. For that, he is grateful.

When he notices an emerald ring with a band of gold and the inscription: _'Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero'*_ written on the inside. A reminder of what his pirate counter-part had told him when he was faced with the dilemma of how he felt when faced with giving his heart. Though he's sure that he won't easily be able to get over it magically, the ring is a reminder to keep moving on and enjoy the moments he's had.

(England fears that he might become numb after this. He fears that he'll stop feeling as starkly as he does and become a numb and hollow individual who has grown indifferent to the world around him. The very thought scares him and he clings to his feelings and how he feels and tackles them, allows himself to acknowledge them in fear of them ever going away the more he progresses.)

* * *

 **And another one bites the dust! Okay so the Latin words that are written on the inside of the ring are the original text of the line. It roughly translates to "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible to the future." (Which basically boils down to do everything you can today to make tomorrow better) Something that I felt fits the conversation he's had with Captain Arthur as well as a reminder of what England should keep in mind as he goes through these worlds. This chapter was surprisingly quick to write so I hope it's a fun read! Have a nice day (or night, wherever you are)!**


	5. Chapter 5: Cat Got Your Tongue

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Note: As requested by cookiesNcream1703, here's a cat related one! Nyaa~**

* * *

Chapter 5: Cat Got Your Tongue?

* * *

The ring served as a good reminder.

England smiled at the thought of his pirate counterpart's words. He's right. England laughed softly, funny how someone in the past can remind you of what you have forgotten. The ring sat on his finger with the reminder of what he should think of these plays as, plays to enjoy the moment in before moving on once more.

This time the songs he played strayed from the sorrowful and haunted tone to a grateful and wistful tone as if thanking all the previous plays for the journey. It's a first. He knows he still wants to get out of this place, to see the gardens of his home or taste a cup of Earl Grey. He misses the way America would yell he's a hero or his banter with France. He hopes he hasn't missed the Royal Wedding, after he wants to see them get married if for Princess Diana's sake. Lovely woman, she was, it would be nice to watch her other son get married if only to repay her.

He sets down the violin and heads to the poster, might as well get over with it. This time he's a cat owner whose cat continues to mess things up whenever his significant other gives him things because unknown to him, his significant other is trying to kill him. England raised an eyebrow, should be fun acting as the oblivious lover then.

He falls through the poster again.

* * *

When he comes to, his wakes up in the arms of…oh, so that's why his cat is doing all that, apparently his significant other is the copy of Russia. No mistaking the taller man's form for anyone other than Russia as he's the tallest among them. The nose and innocent looking smile on the man's face as he slept grabbed his attention. England (he's not sure what his alias is here as that could change) knew he's going to be both entertained and slightly unnerved in this play.

The Russia-copy opened his eyes and for the first time in a long time, England is face to face with Russia and he doesn't feel scared at all. His eyes are such a deep pool of blue-violet and though it's hazy with sleep, it still looks enchanting.

England's never seen Russia's eyes this close up before. Normally, he's too scared to look the man in the eye or even be close to him.

"Arthur?" The man spoke and oh, his name is still Arthur that's good.

Giving the man a besotted smile (it's much easier than he expected, maybe that's because he doesn't feel scared anymore) Arthur said, "Good morning, love."

The man smiled and shuffled to give him a short peck on the lips, "Good morning to you too,"

They stayed like that, enjoying each other's presence until his cat came in to jump on the Russia-copy.

"Mreow!" It yelled as it flung itself on top of its target, claws open and sharp, ready to slice people into ribbons.

"Wah!" the man yelled as he rolled over and fell off the bed, "Scones! Get off me!"

Arthur flung himself out of bed in order to get Scones away from him. "Scones, I told you already to quit doing that!"

The cat hissed at the Russian and then climbed up to sit on his shoulder, rubbing its face to Arthur while glaring pointedly at his significant other as if to say 'Stay away!'

"Haha," The man chuckled nervously, his cheek bleeding from a cat scratch. "I guess I should start getting ready for work."

Arthur got up worried for him. The cat flicked its tail before going on the bed. Arthur took the time to get up and fuss over the taller man. He had him sit on the bed and got a band aid from the first-aid kit under the bed and cleaning up the scratch before slapping the band aid on him.

The man winced and he sighed, "Artie, Scones doesn't like me, I don't think he's going to change his mind soon,"

Arthur waved his hand as he bent over to kiss the top of the man's nose, "Nonsense! Scones' is just intimidated by you- I mean you are intimidating for something as small as him."

The man blushed (he should really check the notebook because it would be very embarrassing it he doesn't know his 'significant other's name) and replied, "I doubt it. Well, I should get changed."

With that, the man headed off to the closet door. Meanwhile, Arthur spotted the notebook by his bedside table and grabbed it before announcing he'll be making breakfast. He glanced at where Scones had been staying only to find him missing. He shrugged, Scones will be back soon.

While he knows that the other countries think he's a terrible cook, he does it on purpose. As such he decided to make a good English breakfast for the man. Once the breakfast is finished and on the plate, he flipped through the notebook while waiting for Russia's counterpart to finish changing.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 21_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British-American_

 _Occupation: Professional Author_

 _Backstory: Arthur Kirkland is a famous fantasy novelist that has written stories that made the readers look at the world around them and think for themselves. His significant other Ivan Braginski is someone he began to date before his novels have become popular and is in fact his boyfriend of five years. While his books are popular and well known, not many know that he's actually the child of a rich family born into wealth as the heir of a well-known publishing house known as 'Clark_

 _Note: His family is quite protective over him and often given something to use against attackers or if that 'pervert Russian' tries anything.'_

 _Note: Ivan tells Arthur he works in a bank, Arthur highly doubts that.'_

Arthur raised an eyebrow, Ivan's probably in it for the money then. Scones came back to rub on his leg. Ivan entered the room in a well pressed suit. The two ate together in peace before Ivan had to head off to work.

They exchanged goodbyes and soon, Arthur was left to deal with Scones. When he reached to drink his water, Scones batted the cup, causing it to spill.

"Scones!" He shouted as the water spilled on his shirt and pants. "What are you doing, it's simply a glass of water!"

H got up to change his clothes, Scones blocked the hallway leading to the bedroom.

"What is it now?" He asked, crossing his arms and scowling at his cat.

England wanted to laugh, such a fun role! He figures the hallway must be booby trapped or something.

"Mew." Scones didn't blink.

"Well where else should I go to change?"

"Maow."

Arthur huffed and removed his wet clothes before grabbing the bathrobe. Not like he can do anything about it now.

Scones has disappeared for a while as Arthur moved to check the fridge, Scones came pushes him down as a knife flew from his fridge to dig itself deep into the wall, pinning the curtain to it. Arthur blanched at this. Talk about obvious!

"Scones, what was that?!"

"Mow," He said as he got off to the side.

"Yes, I know it's a knife but what is it doing in the fridge?" Arthur hissed as he got up and headed to the bedroom to wear at least something other than a bathrobe.

Scones meowed back at him but allowed him to do as he pleased, he trailing behind him as he walked to the closet and changed into some clothes.

"You know Scones, maybe I should actually get to work," He began, casually strolling over to his laptop to begin wherever this play's Arthur had originally left off.

There's a note on the desktop that said: 'Finish writing Chapter twenty of Eternal Memories' seems pretty simple.

Arthur began reading through the story, raising an eyebrow at the idea before enjoying it with a smile on his face. This is actually quite interesting and well-written, well-done Arthur of this play! The bold words 'Chapter twenty' brought him back to reality and he sighed as he began writing.

"Mrow! Hiss!" His cat began clawing and Arthur stood up eyes wide as he stumbled backwards, watching as Scones clawed at a man with a simple white mask on his face, as if attending a masquerade. The man tossed the cat to the side and began to approach him.

"Who-who are you?!" He screamed as he grabbed a pen. He fiddled with it trying to see how it opens the tip only for the back to come off and reveal a knife. Arthur twitched, a pen knife, this play's Arthur must be either paranoid, thought it was a cool thing to have, or was given this by his family.

The man stayed silent. "No hard feelings, Arthur."

That voice, Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Ivan,"

The man removed his mask and tilted his head. "You aren't surprised? Betrayed? At least saddened?"

Arthur scoffed but held the knife higher. "Are you kidding me? I knew you were up to something considering the fact Scones is trained by my family to scratch those who've tried to kill me."

The man nodded his head, "That explains everything,"

Arthur scowled, "For a person who says no hard feelings, you're quite blasé about this."

"For someone who knows what I'm here to do you're quite argumentative." He replied.

"That's because we haven't had sex in the last few months!" Arthur argued.

Ivan crossed his arms, "That's because you were supposed to have died in the last few months if it weren't for your damn cat!"

They paused when they realized they haven't seen Scones during their argument and Ivan paled to a paper white complexion. "The cat…"

Arthur looked behind Ivan to the shelves above where he saw Scones sitting there with his tail flicking this way and that.

"What are you-" Ivan paled as he turned around to look where Arthur's looking only for Scones to fling himself at Ivan's face and clawing at every bit of skin he could get his paws on

Arthur stood there, flabbergasted at how utterly _vicious_ his cat is. If anything, he has a slight healthy fear of his cat now. He snapped out of it when he realized what Scones was doing. He grabbed his phone on his bedside and called the authorities. He began describing the while in the background Ivan and his cat were practically fighting.

"Get off me you damn- gah!" He screamed as he hit the corner of a table, losing his balance and falling on his back as Scones kept scratching. Arthur couldn't help but shiver, all those scratching posts must be really working out for him.

"Hello? Are you still there?" The operator asked.

Arthur let out a nervous laugh, "I am, it's just- please tell the policemen to hurry, I don't want my cat to be put to sleep for murder when he's only trying to protect me,"

"R…right," The operator continued

Arthur stood there, watching as Ivan's face collected many scratches and Scones shredded his suit to bits, scratching and biting, clawing at anything he could get it grubby little paws on. Arthur made sure to talk to the operator while Ivan howled in pain when Scones bit him between the legs.

Arthur winced at this. "I do hope the police are almost here. Scones is being quite savage towards my ex."

Luckily for him, the police arrived and took one bleeding and claw-marked Ivan out of the vicinity. When they went to talk to him, Arthur answered truthfully, "Ivan had apparently been an assassin whose next job was me. My cat Scones then came to my defence and well, clawed his face out, I do hope Scones won't be put down, he did save my life after all."

In the end of the day, the police had to search the home for any more traps and dismantling them all the while Arthur cleaned Scones and washed off his blood stained paws. (Much to the chagrin of the watching police officers who eyed the cat warily as a medic gave some medical attention to the pitiful face of Ivan and his bite and claw marks on his arms.)

The scene faded to black for a moment. It then came back to Arthur's parents doting on him.

Apparently his father is Ancient Rome here, his mother, Britannia sighed at the sight of her husband hugging him and crying about the Russian bastard.

"Father, please," Arthur asked with an uncomfortable expression, "You're making a scene out of this,"

"Ahhhhh! Tannia, our son doesn't love me anymore!" Rome wailed to Tannia.

"Now, now, Romulus, he's just worried about how the public might see you." Tannia soothed as Romulus cried to her.

"Father, it's not like I don't love you, it's just, you're being overdramatic, I'm alive and well," Arthur joined in on the soothing.

"Still, my precious Artie-Tartie-" "Please don't call me that," "Has lost his virtue to a lying bastard like that perverted Russian!"

Tannia sighed, "Listen dear, Ivan's going to prison now and our precious Arthur escaped without a scratch."

And so the world faded once more to the bland room, the crying of Romulus and the gentle words of Tannia fading alongside it.

* * *

England can safely say that it is the strangest play he had ever been dragged into. Well, considering he's only been dragged into a total amount of four- five now, counting this one- it's not surprising that that one had been much more light-hearted. If anything, it almost reminded him of a typical world meeting, with Germany trying his best to keep them focused, him and France in their usual bickering, America shouting he's a hero and the general confusion and disorganized chaos that happens in every meeting. He smiled to himself when he realized that there's a plush doll of Scones sitting beside him on the bed.

(England can admit this to himself when he smiles at the sight of cute little Scones. He misses his previous way of life. He misses it so much, from the sound of rain to the clouds in the sky. He misses those seemingly small details in life. He misses Russia wanting to be one with everyone, China's ability to make a China town everywhere, he's not sure whether he wants to laugh or cry. He settled on laughing even though tears streak down his face. The ache in his heart is undeniable. He misses home.)

* * *

 **A light hearted chapter to help reinforce Captain Arthur's message of moving on for him! Here you go cookiesNcream1703, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked writing this chapter! England-cat is called Scones here and Ancient Rome as his dad was fun to write. I don't know about you but I enjoy those sorts of characters with how light-hearted and comedic they can be. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a nice day (or night!) everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6: It's a Conspiracy!

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Note: Love triangle, slight mention of crossdressing, Arthur gets in a dress for one scene**

* * *

Chapter 6: It's a Conspiracy!

* * *

England stood in front of the poster once more. This time he was going to be in the middle of a love triangle where the Russian and the FBI agent watching him through his computer screen are battling for his attention and affection. England knew this was going to be Ivan and Alfred. It'll be interesting, getting to learn more about Ivan and Alfred again instead of the simple face value of 'they like him'.

He glanced at the plush of Scones sitting on the bed.

A small smile bloomed on his face. The last one was surprisingly fun, the story was simple and it only lasted a day. Though, that sort of chaos is something he does miss, maybe for now, he'll have to keep climbing. Still, he realized that the tattoos and the necklace weren't there in the last one so it must disappear depending on circumstance? Probably, England figured that much seeing as the play where he met Captain Arthur allowed him to maintain the tattoos and the necklace.

With a shrug, he smiled and fell through the poster.

* * *

The world blurred and the wind whistled, England gave a laugh, now that he's getting used to it, it sort of reminds him of sky diving. He's always wanted to see what sky diving is all about but was too busy with his duties as a country to try it. He wasn't aware of the bright grin on his face. All he can focus on is the wind whistling and the rush of falling without having to worry about injury.

His heart raced as the rush went by faster and the world's a dizzying spiral of colours blending together.

He landed on a bed once more. The notebook on his side as he sat up stretched. The morning sunlight filtered in his room through the white curtains. He snatched the notebook with a slight bit of trepidation, what will it be this time?

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 24_

 _Gender: Male (Androgynous)_

 _Nationality: British_

 _Occupation: British Spy (M16)_

 _Backstory: A spy of Britain who is assigned various missions as the greatest recon agent who can change roles and dig information as easily as breathing. His current mission is to find information and the whereabouts of the leader of the terrorist organization, Claw that had once attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister. Current sources say they have fled to America. The American Government is unaware of this in order to decrease the chance of Claw getting tipped off.'_

A spy hmm, Arthur couldn't hide the grin on his face, looks like he could play the part of James Bond. Arthur smirked. Well he's a recon agent, which means infiltration, information digging and the general work of playing actor. In a way, he's already qualified for the part seeing as his previous plays gave him different roles. He glanced down at himself, a long sleeve dress shirt, black slacks and a general business man feel. His hair, he touched, is shoulder length, probably for when he has to look like a different person. It did state he's androgynous and as a spy, one had to use various resources which meant he probably had to cross-dress a few times. He tied his hair up after he found a thin ponytail. He'd rather not look like France. He doesn't have his tattoos but he does have his necklace and ring.

He stood up and went on his laptop. Might as well do what he's here for.

The screen lit up and he licked his lips, there on the computer screen is a code he's surprisingly familiar with. The words were easily translated in his head, as if he knew these even if this is a new one. They're easy to read and understand, almost as easy as breathing if not for the fact there's a delay in understanding it. So foreign yet so familiar, Arthur mused. His green eyes flashing as he took in the information.

Oh he has a lead.

He's going to meet a man at a restaurant, he was apparently a traitor of Claw but one can never be too sure. The code word for identification was 'God Save the Queen' from him and 'Welcome to the Land of the Free' from the associate. Arthur stifled a snort. He might as well search for the restaurant.

* * *

Unknown to him on the other side of the screen, FBI Agent Alfred snapped his fingers, this is his chance! He's one of the few that has a promo from the new restaurant where you could get discounts. He could use that promo and get closer to Arthur that's way! Blue eyes fixated on the concentrated expression of Arthur, Alfred has seen this expression many times before. The other monitor portrayed what's on his computer screen. The monitor showed the image of 'Daydream' a new restaurant rising with many good reviews and praises on the dishes and service.

Somewhere, a Russian spy named Ivan smiled. A box of chocolates and a bouquet for roses sat on his table side. Arthur will be at the restaurant during 11:30 am, right before the rush hour. Perfect, they could have a 'coincidental' first meeting where he'll be there to accompany him. Arthur doesn't have many friends here so it seems that he's only here for business.

Simultaneously, the two men decided to run into Arthur on the way to the restaurant.

Arthur while aware of this; is not aware of the magnitude of this seeing as he hasn't actually seen anything yet. So, he got ready for the meet up with the traitor, a sling bag with files, his laptop and some weapons just in case, the notebook too. He touched the necklace and the ring, with a sigh he knew he couldn't leave them in the bag or the pocket dimension. He placed it underneath his shirt and placed the ring in his pocket. He bit his lip putting a spell and ensuring the ring can't get stolen.

Well, he should get going, time to meet his 'associate'.

* * *

The restaurant, luckily for him, is not as far away from where his apartment is, it's a few blocks away. He walked there, might as well scan the area. From what he knew when he checked the restaurant, they were in a small city known as Culver City.

As he walked he tensed when he saw the familiar hairstyle of A-Alfred. He moved to go past him when the man turned around to bump into him. Arthur stiffened up in order to seem surprised, green eyes wide as he fell into the awaiting arms of Alfred.

For a moment the only thing he could think about of when he first met Alfred, before coming back to his senses.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Arthur righted himself and straightened his shirt, "Sorry for bumping into you,"

The man waved a gloved hand, "It's alright, dude! I'm the one who should be sorry,"

"Still, I'm quite sorry, I'll be on my way now," He excused himself only for Alfred to follow him.

"Hey, where you heading off to, maybe we can walk there together?" Alfred asked as he jogged up to him.

"Oh, I'm going to that new restaurant, 'Daydream'," He answered sheepishly. Hopefully he won't be his associate. He'll have to check.

"Nice! I'm heading over there too. I heard the food was a mixture from various places around the world," Alfred began as they walked together.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "That sounds brilliant then, I wonder if they have any English food or at least some English desserts,"

"Oh, I'm sure they do, one of the chefs there is apparently a British pastry chef!" Alfred excitedly answered.

Arthur can already see his cheeks getting slightly red, there's the FBI agent, still he needs to know if that's his lead. "Well that's delightful. I hope the dishes are as good as they say they are, it would be nice to taste a bit of home." He chuckled, "Hopefully it would be enough to make me say 'God save the Queen',"

He watched for any reaction, a flash in the eyes, a flicker of recognition, instead he got nothing. Alfred grinned, "Is it me or could that sentence get anymore British?"

That's a bust.

As he talked with Alfred, he realized that they don't know each other. He eyed him from the corner of his eyes. Then they bumped into Ivan. The man had seemed to be rushing, checking his watch until he stopped at the restaurant side. Alfred bumped into the tall form of Ivan and stumbled back into Arthur.

"Hey!" Alfred exclaimed.

Arthur inched away from Alfred and sighed, he should deescalate the situation.

"Calm down," He said, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder.

Alfred blushed as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Right,"

The Russian turned to see them and in his hands are a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates.

"Hello, sorry for my friend err…" Arthur glanced at Alfred, he shouldn't know Alfred's name so.

"Alfred, Alfred F. Jones," The man greeted, reaching out a hand out to the Russian.

"Ivan Braginski," He replied, narrowing his eyes at Alfred. He ignored the outstretched hand of Alfred, causing him to take it back and scowl at him.

"Arthur Kirkland," He nodded his head, "I have to get going now. I'll meet you both later?"

He smiled at them politely, causing the two who were in a glaring contest to relax.

"Da, I would like that,"

"Sounds like a great idea, Arthur!"

They glared at each other.

Arthur figured he might as well leave them alone and search for his associate.

He made eye-contact with a copy of China, huh so that might be his associate. It seems that the Chinese man noticed him looking and headed up to him. He smiled, "I heard the food had English desserts, it reminds me of home you know? God save the Queen and all that,"

Throughout the phrase he maintained eye contact. The Chinese man gave him a sharp smile, "Welcome to the land of the free, aru!"

The two shared a laugh before taking a seat and talking. The two sobered up and Arthur leaned forward. _"So, you're my contact, hmm?"_ Luckily he knows Chinese.

" _You're the agent they sent from England? I'm not sure what to expect, aru,"_ He replied coldly.

Arthur huffed and took out a file, passing it on to the Chinese man. _"I won't ask for much, tell me what you on Claw, what you know of their current whereabouts, what are they planning?"_

The man gave him a wry smile, _"Aiyaa~ so many questions, tsk tsk Englishman, don't they teach you about patience?"_

" _Write it down in Chinese if you must,"_ He slid an empty piece of paper to the man along with a pen, _"You have your own reasons for becoming a traitor, just know that the English government won't hunt you down for once being a part of Claw,"_

The man scribbled down as quickly as possible, _"Hmm? Is that a threat, Englishman?"_

Arthur leaned on one hand, "Only if you make it so, love," He gave the man a cheery smile.

The man clicked the pen and slid the document back to Arthur. "Here you go. You should treat me lunch for all the trouble,"

Arthur laughed softly, "Only if you wish for it," He narrowed his eyes as he read the content.

Then in came Alfred, "Hey there, Arthur! Who's your friend here?" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Alfred, you do know it's quite rude to burst into a conversation?" He lectured in annoyance.

" _Who is this, your jealous boyfriend?"_ The Chinese man joked.

" _He's an acquaintance,"_ Arthur replied as Alfred sat beside him, his tone apologetic and slightly ruffled.

The China-copy huffed in amusement at this, _"So long as you leave me out of this. I only came to give you information and information you have received. I gave you everything that I know,"_

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Alfred asked. Internally he cursed, his Chinese is barely passable, damn it!

" _Understood, I'll be sure that the government…rewards you for your work."_ Arthur nodded his head as the China-counterpart got up and excused himself.

"Excuse me, aruyo, but I have to be somewhere else," He bowed and left.

"Farewell, _old friend,_ " Arthur waved until the Chinese man disappeared from view.

He turned to Alfred, "Next time to interrupt a conversation,"

"Hehe, sorry but I have a good reason too!" He pulled out a paper, "Tada, a discount voucher! It would be a waste if I didn't spend it with a friend,"

Arthur smothered a cough. They've only technically met today! "Right," He glance around, "In that case we might as well order some food,"

Then Ivan passed by, holding his roses and chocolates. He glanced at them paused. "Have room for one more?"

"Date stood you up?" Alfred joked.

Ivan chuckled, "Blind date, never really cared. Ah, Arthur how bout you take these? I don't think I can eat them myself,"

Ah, so that's what the Russian was planning, Arthur mused. "Alright, I'll take it,"

Alfred twitched. He smiled even though his eyes said murder, "How about we share it?"

"Arthur already took it, you have to ask if you want some," The Russian said kindly through gritted teeth.

Arthur should stop this otherwise he won't be able to get a move on with Claw. "Please, let's order our food first, I don't know about you but I'm feeling quite hungry,"

They turned to him with the kindest expressions. Arthur's not sure how to feel about the complete 180 in terms of mood.

They ordered lunch and in the wait for their food, Arthur had to diffuse about three arguments. One of the arguments was over the food, another was over Alfred's voucher and the last one was them digging into each other under the thin veil of politeness. Their food arrived and in that time they learnt more about each other.

"So, Arthur, are you here for vacation?" Alfred asked.

"Actually, I'm here for work." Arthur replied.

"Well next time da, maybe we can show you around if you come for vacation," Ivan offered.

"Yeah, I can help tour you round Culver, show you the sights around here," Alfred shot Ivan a look.

Ivan glared back at him. "I am always available to give you a tour, Arthur,"

Arthur bit back a sigh. This will take a long time.

"It was nice dining with you but I have to go home,"

Alfred perked up like a cute little dog, "I can walk you there,"

"Its fine," Arthur waved off, "I can walk there myself. I mean, it's only a few blocks away."

"Come on I insist," Alfred kept pushing.

"He said its fine so it's fine, _comrade_ ," Ivan placed a threatening hand on Alfred's shoulder.

Arthur sighed but left them to it. This may be longer than anticipated!

* * *

The moment he arrived back at his apartment, he began to read the information and write it in the English code. Once he's done, he'll have to burn it.

 _Their last known location hidden in the back of 'The Sapphire Enigma' a illegal restaurant and bar located in East Crest Phase Four. The restaurant has certain themes every week, this week one should have a…female companion. The area should be heavily guarded and requires a password. The password is 'Scarlet Eye'._

 _Their plan is to finish what they started in England, a virus. This virus will be spread in colleges and universities, a concentrated version of measles. The virus would be spread in those places through contaminated water systems. The deadline for this would be in three days._

 _The leader of Claw has an inner circle, a Japanese man named Kuro and a German named Lutz. They're easy to spot with their red eyes and clothing. They're almost always close to the leader, Luciano._

 _Luciano's the disgraced bastard child of a Mafia that abandoned him in England when they were on a business trip. His grudge against England had spread to the other countries his family have tried to abandon him in, America, China, Russia, France, Italy, Germany and the only one place they were successful at, England. Seeing as the m16 caught him in England, he's set his sights for one of the countries in the list._

 _A Russian man by the name of Ivan Braginski can be of use to you. He's a Russian spy but that does not mean he won't help for the offer of a good price, it doesn't have to be money. He'll help you deal with the blue prints of the place as well as the inner circle. He's been of much help getting me out of there._

 _If you don't want the FBI involved in this, then cover your camera screen. Luciano always cover the cameras on devices ever since he entered America._

Arthur huffed, well looks like he'll have to call out Alfred and Ivan.

He glanced at the computer camera, then he went on note pad before typing in, ' _Hello, Alfred. I suspect you're the FBI watching me?'_

A pause, then words began to appear. _'Arthur, how'd you know?'_

' _I need your help.'_ Arthur licked his lips, _'Your FBI. There's a national security threat.'_

' _What, how'd you know, why are you involved?'_

Arthur huffed, _'M16, now make it quick, you know where I live. Get over here. I'll need you to have my back.'_

' _Give me twenty minutes.'_

Now, Arthur reread the information having already burned the one that the China copy had given him, how to get Ivan?

Oh. He checked the roses, finding a card with Ivan's phone number. Arthur smiled, Russian sneak, he must have bumped into China's counterpart.

He inputted the number, holding the phone to his ear as waited for Ivan to pick up.

"Hello?" Ivan answered.

"Yes, hello Ivan," Arthur leaned on his elbow. "It's me, Arthur,"

"Ah! Hello comrade!" Ivan greeted cheerfully.

Arthur couldn't suppress the smug smile on his face, "I'm sorry but this isn't a friendly call. You're a mercenary yes? Well, I have a job you can do,"

The line fell silent for a while before Ivan coldly replied, "What's the job?"

"Help me bring down a terrorist organization," Arthur replied casually, perhaps with too much cheer because that line brought a deep chuckle of humour out of Ivan.

"I'll help you. Where will we be meeting?"

Arthur hummed, "The front of Daydream,"

"Being poetic?"

Arthur snorted, "It's the first thing that came to mind. I hope you do know I'll be brining Alfred along. He's also going to help me,"

Ivan hummed in curiosity, "Oh? And does he know I'll be joining you?"

"…I'll have to alert him about you."

"Right then, when will we meet?"

Arthur felt that Ivan was being quite conversational about everything. "Thirty minutes from now."

"Kolkolkolkol," Arthur shuddered, seems like Russia's odd laugh transferred to Ivan, "Very well, I look forward to it."

The call ended. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. That reminded him of Russia in a way, he's not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. Never has he been so grateful for the fact Ivan likes him here.

The minute Alfred arrived, Arthur sat him down. He explained as much as he could, Claw, the terrorist and where they'll be heading. "Look, get over whatever you have with Ivan because he's going to be coming along with us."

He scanned Alfred, the man's wearing a suit and Arthur is absolutely sure the man's hiding a gun. Alfred crossed his arms and huffed.

"Why's he coming along?" Alfred grouched.

"He's familiar with how Claw works, familiar enough to get someone out of there. We'll need that against them," Arthur sighed. He knows this play is going to drag on for a bit.

"Still, why call me in as well?" He pushed up his glasses.

"Felt like America deserves to have a hand in this." They arrived at the front of the restaurant. Arthur could spot Ivan easily, after all the man still wears the scarf.

The man turned around and walked over to them. His violet eyes focusing on Arthur as he approached them, "Hello, comrades,"

Alfred glared, crossing his arms, "Commie bastard,"

Arthur elbowed him sharply, "Look, we have at most, three days to wreck their plans. I'd rather not head in there alone."

"Da," Ivan nodded his head, "Luciano is a cautious man. The only reason why I managed to get Yao, out is thanks to a…comrade of mine."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, "A guy on the inside?"

"Natalia can help us infiltrate, she knows the lay out better than I," Ivan admitted.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, one of the Soviet siblings, either Ukraine or Belarus' counterpart then. He shook his head, no matter. "We'll need to be prepared to enter. They only open at night, yes?"

Ivan nodded his head. "We could get Natalia to get us in. The restaurant will only be taking couples this week. So perhaps I can rope in another?"

Alfred frowned before shaking his head, "Too many people involved would make it messier. As it is now, we can stand to have four people in."

"I can cross dress," Arthur piped in casually, "I'm androgynous, with my hair, all I need to do is style it, change the pitch of my voice and wear a dress or something,"

Alfred covered the lower half of his face, ears red. Ivan snuggled into his scarf and turned away. "Arthur, I'm not sure if you can offer such a thing so casually,"

Arthur shrugged, "What do you expect? In my line of work, one must always be resourceful, would be a waste if I _didn't_ use my androgynous looks. It's do or die sometimes,"

Alfred scratched the back of his head. "Still, are you sure?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes. I'm fine with this, some missions called for it."

Ivan smothered a strangled sound. Arthur glanced at Ivan. "Are you okay, Ivan?"

Ivan coughed, "Da, I'm fine."

Internally, England snickered, shock value is hilarious.

"Any, you said we have three days, which means we need to prepare. We'll meet up again here at six?" Alfred waved his arms.

"Alright then, who'll be in charge of transportation there? I doubt we could take a taxi over there,"

Ivan waved his hand, "Consider the transportation done. Be sure to have a gun or a knife on you. Security doesn't care so long as you have the password."

"Right," Arthur nodded his head, "Get dressed, the restaurant maybe of the…darker kind but it's still a high class restaurant."

Arthur went through his bag before using checking to see if he has his magic here. His hand glowed softly and he smirked. He used his magic to make the bag larger than it is and added an extra set of clothes to change into. Arthur glanced at it and realized that it wasn't appropriate for an illegal high class restaurant. With a sigh, he turned it into a purse. He'll change it back later. He touched the ring in his pocket before putting it on and slightly touching the necklace before leaving it on. A gun strapped on the inside of his thigh and a knife hidden in the sash of the dress then.

The dress itself is a simple but glamorous blue dress with a white fake fur lining it. The dress is long enough to cover his legs and flowed around enough to give him a feminine softness. Simple and clean, Arthur mused. The precious Arthur must have taken this with him over the pond for overkill, seeing as it's been hanging in the closet when he checked.

* * *

Six pm arrived swiftly and England checked himself for anything that could give away his gender before checking his purse. Clothes, guns, knives, rope, handcuffs, he's just about as ready as ever. He's got the ring in plain sight and the necklace open for all to see. He glanced at himself and snorted, he's gone through plenty of centuries with the humour of women pretending to be men and men pretending to be women that he's pretty numb to it all.

Arthur smiled, hopefully America and Russia won't be too shell-shocked. He snickered behind his hand. The looks on their faces would be hilarious!

He waited for them close to the restaurant, turning heads and looking soft and dainty. At that time, Alfred had arrived.

"A-ah…" He stopped when he saw Arthur. Arthur turned to him gracefully, the man giving him a soft smile.

"Hullo, Alfred, dearest," He pushed his accent to be thicker. His voice pitched enough to sound female.

"Oh, uh, hi," He replied flustered.

"Oh?" Arthur gained a mischievous glint in his emerald eyes. "Not even a, 'good evening, Alice' or 'How's your day, Alice?'. How rude,"

Alfred moved closer to him. "Oh, sorry Alice,"

Arthur giggled behind his hand. "Please, Alfred. I know you weren't expecting this,"

A car stopped in front of them, Ivan rolling down the window only to pause and get a good look at Arthur.

"Ivan, right on time as always," Arthur greeted before Alfred opened the car door for him.

Ivan fixed the mirror as the two of them got in the backseat. "Arthur, you exceeded expectations,"

Arthur huffed, "My female name is Alice. Now, how will this work?"

"Natalia will let us in. Once we're in we'll pretend to be drinking and such at the bar. Arthur should be able to get changed. Once he's changed we'll be led by Natalia through the complex straight to the doors of Luciano. We'll be right above Luciano and his men and able to take them down. Natalia meanwhile will get rid of the various body guards and knock out the scientists. It's quick and clean, da?" Ivan turned to grin at them.

"Right then, we're almost there." Arthur commented. "Don't slip up, alright?" He gave them a bright smile.

Alfred coughed behind his hand and Ivan brought his scarf up.

As they exited the car, Arthur noted that Natalia is Belarus' counterpart. Good, as much as she scares Lithuania, she's level headed and good with knives. Arthur pretended to be arm candy for Alfred, hissing at him to put an arm around him before continuing the part of rich, hot, arm candy. He hung onto Alfred like a blond limpet before heading to the bathroom to swap out his clothes for better mobility.

He hid the necklace underneath the shirt, the ring was switched to the hand, to make it seem like he's married. He straightened up and headed back to Alfred and Ivan. The two who have entered a 'drinking contest', Alfred knocking back shots while Ivan gulped back his own, Arthur sighed.

"Don't get drunk early, we still haven't ate dinner yet," Arthur grumbled in his seat beside them.

Alfred laughed loudly, "Haha! What do ya mean, Artie?" Alfred pretended to be drunk.

Alfred 'tried' to get up from his seat and swayed. Ivan rolled his eyes, "Excuse me, my friend's a stubborn light weight who won't stop. Come on Arthur,"

Arthur sighed as Ivan got Alfred up and Arthur went to Natalia, he 'explained the situation' and she nodded her head before leading them to the back of where the bathrooms are. The moment, they were out of sight, Alfred stretched and straightened up.

"I hate playing the lightweight," He grumbled.

Ivan snorted, "But it fits. I would have beaten you in an actual drinking contest, just so you know,"

"Oh yeah?" Alfred challenged, "That's big talk from the guy who's gonna lose,"

"Both of you stop that!" Arthur snapped, "We're here for one reason and one reason only,"

Ivan laughed lightly, sheepish as he said, "Yes, Arthur."

"Please stay quiet. I haven't knocked out the guards yet. There's a vent in the storage room that leads straight to Luciano's office. Kuro and Lutz will most likely be there, I trust yu can handle this on your own?" Natalia barely spared them a glance, her voice soft and light.

"Understood, Miss Natalia," Arthur replied courteously.

They were lead to the storage room and Natalia paused at the doorway, giving her brother a nod. Ivan smiled at her gratefully before they're in the storage room.

Arthur took out a coin and handed it to Ivan. "You're the tallest so it only makes sense for you to unscrew the vent."

Ivan took the coin and unlocked it, twisting out the screws and allowing the vent to swing down. With a nod from Arthur, Ivan helped him up and into the vent, Alfred when he got up, 'flailed' and kicked Ivan in the face. " _Sorry!"_

Ivan rubbed his cheek with a scowl on his face. He got up and into the vent himself, pulling the thing up and following after them.

As Natalia had said, they were directly above Luciano's office. Kuro and Lutz standing beside him, listening to him speak.

"Hmph, soon America will fall at our feet. People will die and it will be glorious. Oh the chaos and the outrage, the very thought of it makes me shiver in anticipation!" Luciano laughed.

Lutz leaned in his chair, "That's great boss! Once we're done with America, where'll we go next?"

Luciano harrumphed, crossing his arms, "Don't be stupid Lutz, we're going to Italy next. Make a statement, get back at the Vargas Famiglia, then you can pick where we going next."

Lutz smiled widely, "Going to Germany next sounds like a great idea, get rid of the Europe ones while we're still in Italy,"

"That would be prudent." Kuro agreed. His red eyes flickering for a moment as he did so, "Once we're done with Europe, China would be a good step."

Luciano hummed, "Hah, planning so far ahead already? We still need to finish with America, how _unlike you_ , Kuro," He sneered.

Kuro clenched his fist, "We will succeed and _I_ will make sure of it. Unlike you, I don't sit around,"

Luciano growled, "Who's the one that thought of all this?"

"You," Lutz replied, withdrawing back from Luciano, as if close to a rabid animal.

"Who's the one that brought us all together?" Luciano brought out his knife.

"You," Lutz answered, edging further away from Luciano.

"That's right. Me," Luciano brandished his knife at Kuro, "Watch your mouth unless you want to end up like Lutz,"

Kuro's eye flashed as he brought out a sword, "Might I remind you, Luciano, that this is a mere alliance between the Kagekumo-kai and Luciano Vargas. I am not a toy to be played with or a pawn to break, do I make myself clear?"

Luciano bared his teeth before keeping his knife. "I'm merely making a point, keep that thing and do your job." He turned to the wary Lutz, "You, stop lazing around! I did not pay you to sit there and daydream!"

The two went back to their stations and Arthur bug through his purse.

Alfred whispered to Arthur, _"What are you doing?"_

Arthur took out a taser disguised as a lighter. He flicked it open and watched the bolts come to life. He aimed it Luciano. Ivan glanced at the side to watch as Arthur clicked it and it shot straight at Luciano's neck. Luciano screamed.

Lutz went into action, heading over to Luciano to see if he's okay finding the taser as it died down. Kuro went to cover them, holding the sword vigilantly as he scanned the rom. Lutz followed the taser line to the vents and Kuro narrowed his eyes at the vents. Lutz brought out a gun and shot at the vent.

The bullet went through the vent hole and bounced through. Alfred bit back a scream while Arthur covered himself. Luck must be on their side because the bullet went behind Alfred and didn't hit anyone of them. The three of them gave a sigh of relief. However, there's still Lutz and Kuro to deal with.

Arthur bit his lip and pushed the vent down, going down with it, falling feet first for Lutz. He managed to kick Lutz in the face and ducked under the swig of Kuro's sword. He dropped the taser-lighter and went to punch Kuro. Alfred dropped in as well and fell on Lutz who grunted and aimed the gun at Ivan who had backed up and fell on Lutz as well, taking the gun and knocking him out.

Ivan checked Luciano to see if he's still awake and checked to see Alfred pinning Kuro to the ground, the sword clattered to the side. Arthur took out some rope from his purse. Ivan wondered how he kept it. He tied Kuro and tossed some rope to Ivan. Ivan nodded his head and tied Luciano and Lutz up.

"This was easier than I expected," Arthur said as he stood up.

Natalia busted into the room. "Guards, scientist and such are knocked out, I flooded the rooms with sleeping gas," She tossed them some gas masks, "I'm not sure if the gas is gone so here,"

They took the mask and Arthur contacted his boss. As he reported it, the world began to fade to black.

* * *

It returned later to him in his apartment, his boss telling him to enjoy his vacation until he's needed. He touched his necklace and switched back his ring. His doorbell rang and when he went to check it, it was Ivan with a bouquet of flowers. "Hello, Arthur! As promised, I'm here to show you around Culver-"

Alfred came and shoved Ivan aside, "Hello, Artie, I'm here to show you 'round!"

Ivan shot him a dark look before giving the flowers to Arthur. Arthur in turn laughed at this and said, "How about you _both_ show me around?"

The world faded to white.

* * *

England stood there, laughing to himself in front of the poster for about, five minutes. He smiled and grinned as he replayed the image of Alfred and Ivan fighting over him. In a way, it sort of filled the void of not being able to watch the other countries get up to their usual antics. Now all he needed was to see Germany and Italy together or Romano grumbling about Germany being a 'potato bastard'.

He blinked when he noticed a single earring. It reminded him of his pirate days. The earring itself is a simple sapphire stone dangling on a chain of silver, when he toyed with it a bit, he realized it's a clip on sort of earring. He huffed in amusement, what is it with this room and giving him jewellery?

(England won't admit it but the physical reminders of the plays he's gone through are things he is grateful for. He's a sort of sentimental fool and these things that he can use to remember those times fondly make his heart flutter. It dulls the ache and cry for home easily because he can focus more on the adventures he's having and the fact he's crawling out of the hole that had gotten him into this mess.)

* * *

 **Ahhhh! This is my longest one yet, wow! This was basically meant to self-indulge in trying my hand at a funny rivalry over a person. Man that took a long time to finish, haha. I had always wanted to make a rivalry or something along the lines. I wanted to give Ivan and Alfred a chance to make him like them beyond the simple face-value of 'I'm supposed to be in love with you for the sake of the play' and into 'I genuinely like these people'. Seeing as I'm such a lazy person, I decided to hit two birds with one stone! You know, maybe I've been watching too much spy movies or maybe it's because I managed to get my hands on an Alex Rider book (something I've been dying to read for a while now, so yay me!) but England as M16 sounded like something fun to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, have a nice day (or night!) everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7: Heaven or Hell?

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Note: Bad words (le gasp! Bloody demons), harsh punishment (Like, cutting off limbs harsh), mentions of torture (hey it's hell, there's bound to be some hot pokers, pitch forks and whips) war between heaven and hell, mentioned character deaths and betrayal**

* * *

Chapter 7: Heaven or Hell?

* * *

England sat down and enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey. Sitting on his lap is the plush of Scones, he found it therapeutic to hold onto Scones and simply _vent_. He didn't have to hide and play pretend for the sake of the play, he could simply be himself. Well, he does act as himself in those plays, but with a different backstory and the same personality. It is…draining sometimes, because he is himself but not at the same time.

"Who do you think will be next?" He hummed, drinking the final drops of tea.

The plush didn't reply, as expected.

"Yes, the only way to find out is to go through the poster, but it is fun to wonder sometimes," He set down the cup and placed Scones on the bed.

"Well, time to go down the rabbit hole," He paused, "Or is it up? Either way I'll end up in a new play."

The next play stated it clean and clear cut. An angel and a demon fall in love. Hell disapproves, Heaven discriminates. He raised an eyebrow. Romeo and Juliet style this one. Hopefully he won't end up like either of the two. He won't make such rash decisions or he will make sure they won't end up like them. He'll make sure of that.

He smiled at the plush, "Well, take care, Scones, I might be late,"

England pushed through the poster and he fell.

* * *

The world is a blur of blue to red, heat prickling at his skin. The wind is warm and carries the scent of burning candles. He closes his eyes and he can taste it. The taste of ash and the bright flames are a familiar memory. He took a deep breath and he landed.

He landed in room with burnt orange walls and fire lighting up the place instead of lights. So he's the demon in this one, fun. He knew he has wings, a tail and horns. He flapped his wings. It's instinctive and takes little to no adjustment. England had the convenience of the play to thank for. He picked up the notebook for his role. He mutedly noticed that he has his earring, ring and necklace are on. His clothes are his…pirate clothes, odd.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 289 years old (physically 21)_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: Demon (Previously English)_

 _Occupation: Hell's Naval Commander_

 _Backstory: Arthur Kirkland is an infamous pirate that was hanged. Because of his crimes as a pirate, he was sent to Hell while Commodore Antonio, his rival on the seas, went to Heaven. This has led to them continuing their rivalry even after death as Heaven and Hell wages war. He is Hell's Naval Commander and is known for his heat in battle and heading off to Earth. Many demons shrug this off as him terrorizing humans as he had done as a pirate. He typically battles using his cutlass and magic. He typically avoids his fellow demons and dislikes speaking to them other than leading his crew, giving him a reputation for being cold._

 _Note: Arthur actually goes to Earth to relax and feel human. (The battles are fought on earth's sky or over the sea, away from humans under the accordance of rule number 6: No humans are to be dragged into the war as earth and in turn humans, are neutral.)'_

Well that explains the pirate get up.

He chuckled to himself. It's been awhile since he's able to get into the role of his pirate self without having to worry. So easy to let go, he licked his lips, eyes glowing a poisonous green. Exiting his room, he realized he's well, he's in Hell. The burning flames surrounding him, wrapping around him like the caress of a treacherous lover. He's not that surprised.

He allowed the knowledge that flowed in his head to guide him to where he has to be. Apparently, there's another war council with the rest of his fellow commanders in their specific demonic roles. The images of the Allies flickered through his mind.

Alfred, the demon of Gluttony, normally in charge of keeping the soldiers spirits at their very height. He's in charge of the army.

Ivan, the demon who festers on Greed, he is the head of the prisoner division who tortures them with a happy smile on his face.

Francis is in charge of the sleeper division, the demons who try to seduce and sway the angels into falling as well as swaying humans into sinning.

China's copy, Yao Wang apparently, is Hell's personal trainer. He's the nightmare of any incompetent soldier as he orders and commands with a glare.

Then, there's him, Hell's Naval Commander, feared and distant, barely speaking with his fellow demons, cold-blooded and cruel.

Arthur scowled. War meetings are just like their normal meetings.

"Captain Arthur, arriving late, I see," Francis sneered haughtily.

Arthur glared at him, "Still an ugly bastard, I see,"

Francis bristled at this, "How cold! You'll never look attractive at this rate, you eyebrow asshole!"

"If it means I don't look like you, then good." Arthur scoffed, "I won't look like some frog face piece of shit,"

"Hey!" Francis came to his face, his fists balling up the front of his shirt. Arthur grinned at him with a smug grin.

"Stop antagonizing, Francis! We're here to discuss the war, not fight each other. Do that in your own time!" Yao stood to separate them. Arthur sent Francis a smug smile.

Alfred burst into the room with a scowl of his own. "We're at a draw."

Ivan growled, "Again?!"

"Yes. _Again_ ," Alfred snarled out, pacing back and forth his tail whipping around in annoyance.

Arthur leaned on one hand in boredom, "Anything else new?"

"The newest batch of soldiers is done," Yao tilted his head, brown eyes with a hint of red pining him with a blank and dispassionate stare.

Alfred smirked, "Good, I'll deal with them once we're done with the meeting."

"Sadly, the rate of fallen angels have gone down," Francis reported with a pout.

Ivan huffed, "Train them better then,"

Francis narrowed his eyes at Ivan. "Like you do much, all you do is torture. I almost think you get off of that sort of thing,"

"It's better than failing my only job," Ivan retorted coldly. His violet eyes gained an eerie shine.

"And you, Captain Arthur, anything new?" Alfred directed attention to him.

Arthur huffed in displeasure. "That Spanish bastard's still a pain in the ass,"

"Useful, Arthur, he meant useful," Francis took a dig at him. "No one cares about your silly rivalry."

Arthur glared at him, his fingers glowing red as a warning sign. "Nothing else, sea and sky are still at the same,"

Francis clammed up, paling quickly at the sight of Arthur's glowing fingers. "Right then,"

"Meeting dismissed,"

* * *

Arthur strode to his ship to set sail once more. He has a feeling that Demon Arthur here is constantly irritated after the meeting. The rest of the demonic crew knew to keep away from him as he snapped out orders and they hoisted out of Hell to guard whatever borders they have while trying to gain more. The more 'territory' Hell has the unpopulated parts of Earth, the better.

As they sailed the skies of the Equator, Arthur tensed.

"Enemy spotted!"

Arthur smirked, show time. He barked out orders, he brought out his cutlass, eyes trained on one man and one man alone, Antonio. Antonio himself is dressed like he remembered Conquistador Spain to be, hair in a ponytail, his own sword in hand and eyes a different green than his. This one though, had a golden halo hovering above his head and pure white wings behind him, replacing his cape.

"Captain Arthur! Let's see who'll get the best today!" Antonio yelled, clearly addressing him.

"Aim the cannons, show no mercy!" He ordered. Ah he had missed this sort of chaos that can only come with being a pirate. The freedom, the chaos and the general work is like a familiar balm to him.

His crew did their job, aiming for Antonio.

"Steady now…" He waited for Antonio to come closer, they need a clear shot.

"Steady…" A pause, a breath, a short static beat is all it took before Antonio's ship came into view.

"Fire!"

The cannons shot. Two had shot at the haul of the ship, another at the mast. Wood flew everywhere as clouds rolled in to cover their view.

"Get ready!" He shouted at his crew. Watching as they pathetically scrambled, he waited for bated breath, flames lit in order to give them better light.

Antonio's ship crashed next to him, splinters flying everywhere and angels flying over board as Antonio flew straight towards him. Arthur flew up, holding his cutlass in front of him, successfully stopping Antonio's sword from slicing through him. The Spaniard grinned at him.

"Another day, another battle to be won," Antonio cheekily gloated.

Their swords met and metal sung. Arthur snapped back at him. "Don't go crying when I beat you,"

They dodged and danced around each other, swords and snaps, words exchanged and smug grins were had. In the sky, they danced, metal upon metal, the battle cries of their men like music in the background. The tide of battle twisted and turned as they flew around.

"Getting tired, _Arturo_?" The Spaniard teased, an easy going smile on his face.

Arthur scoffed, "Never, _Anthony,_ "

Another beat, another groan and the wind blew. The clouds moved along, such a dance that he misses yet not. The battle went on for hours, the sun rising up high into noon when it ended. Arthur had managed to corner Antonio, his sword at his neck with only Antonio's sword stopping it from lopping his head off.

"At least take me out on a date first," Antonio joked, looking at home and at ease.

Arthur tilted his head, "With how many battles we've had, I think _this_ would count as a date,"

Antonio laughed heartily, "Maybe, but this doesn't look like such a nice date, _Arturo_ ,"

"It's not a date between you and me but a date with me and victory! For a nice gift to myself, how about I chop off your head?" Arthur grinned down at Antonio.

"As if, you can," He flapped his wings, smiling even if Arthur knew he was feeling pressured.

Ah, Spain's counterpart still holds the 'I'm the Boss' mentality, interesting.

Arthur kept pushing, leaning in close to whisper. "Yeild."

A beat, Antonio's eyes darted from the sword to his face as if seeing whether or not he's sincere.

Their attention is drawn when the remaining angels have fled back to their ship, the cheers of Arthur's men echoing through the sky.

Antonio gave him a twitch of a smile, "Fine, I yield for now, Arthur,"

He ducked down and fled along with his crew, wings fluttering past him, dropping a feather. Arthur picked up the feather kept it in his inner coat pocket. He'll have this to himself.

Arthur cheered. "We won!"

The men burst into celebration and Arthur glanced down at the land below him while his men went back to work, collecting the injured and sewing them back up. His tail swished from side to side as he gazed down at earth. His wings fluttered calmly, almost like the wings of a butterfly.

Hmm, he should go to earth soon.

* * *

Arthur smiled to himself as he entered a café, abandoning his pirate outfit for the more conventional punk sort of look. Jeans, chains, and everything after all he is a demon. He might as well play the part. (Never mind the fact he found those sorts of clothes in his closet and figured he missed being a punk.)

That's when Antonio, came in wearing slacks and a blue hoodie, looking less like the conquistador he was and the angel he is.

He glanced around the shop and paused when he saw Arthur but ignored it. Arthur took a sip from his drink. Now what will Antonio do about it? He did somewhat forget the play, he's slightly embarrassed to admit that. Arthur didn't look away from him. His bright green eyes standing out as he watched Antonio.

Antonio got his drink and approached him, taking a seat from his table.

"Well, well, well, look who I run into,"

Arthur sighed and crossed his arms. "Adhere to the treaty, bird brain,"

"I wasn't doing anything to break the treaty, Arthur," He retorted with a smug smile.

Arthur leaned forward, "What do you want, Antonio?"

Antonio waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not here for anything, Arthur. I'm here to enjoy the lack of conflict and realx,"

"How coincidental, I'm here for the same thing," Arthur replied.

Antonio raised an eyebrow, "Oh? I thought you would be enjoying the chaos and freedom you would have,"

"Not really," He replied dispassionately. "It's not the sort of freedom I crave there. It's more of a boxed in world. I can do as I please but I have someone to answer to. The others in there don't help. Francis is a right ass, Alfred's too loud, and Ivan creeps me out while Yao and I are more acquaintances."

Antonio raised an eyebrow, "I did not expect that level of openness from you, Arthur,"

Arthur shrugged, "It's better to vent to someone who will act like normal and won't laugh at me for 'weakly sharing my feelings' when everyone back there irritates, annoys or is general a distant person from me. Not like I have any friends there."

"Oh, I see. Well, if it makes you feel better, I won't judge." Antonio took a sip of his own drink. "I mean, Feliciano's a good person and a wonderful artist but on battle is not where he belongs. His brother Romano while a friend, he...he's not quite good at opening up towards me. While I do have a friend up there, we're not…close."

They spent the rest of their time on earth, venting and understanding each other's plight.

"You know," Arthur started as they watched the sun set. "We should do this again sometime."

Antonio nodded his head, "Tomorrow, same time, same place?"

"Sounds good to me," Arthur replied with a calm smile on his face.

They shook hands and the world faded to black.

* * *

He returned to another day. No scheduled meetings, nothing much other than meeting up with Antonio and venting about their issues. It worked much like how it did with Kiku, Arthur figured. He'll do something and then meet up, fast forwarding through the unimportant parts.

Those vents grew to be talks. The meeting place began changing, and instead of fast forwarding through the fights, it began to be more of a snapshot for him. Their fights became less anger driven and more like a spar. They traded quips and laughs while maintaining the curtain of enemies.

Arthur learnt that Antonio sometimes felt excluded as his friend, Gilbert (who he's sure is Prussia from the description) hangs mostly around his brother, Ludwig. Arthur in turn told him of his disconnection from his peers in Hell as they are mostly antagonistic or distant to him. Antonio told him he felt like the war is now mostly stagnant and nothing truly happens. Arthur told him that he felt that he was a shadow of what he used to be as he grew tired of the war and battle.

He learnt Antonio's favourite things to watch when in Heaven are bulls, forest life and the creatures in the ocean. Arthur listened and talked and chatted, the entire thing reminding him of Kiku. Different yet similar, like the times of day. Kiku was like the moon he had come from, soft and gentle, Antonio is much like the noon, happy, energetic and bright. Like day and night, they're so different and yet he can't help but compare them. (He felt guilty. After all, Antonio s enjoying his time without having to compare him to anyone while he's here and comparing two different people even though he knows they're different and both are equally lovable.)

One day, they went to a cliff that looked over the sea. Antonio brought up some flowers for him.

"Arthur. I…I know we're not supposed to be like this. But I," He licked his lips and glanced away, "I can't help but fall in love with you."

He knew this was different from Kiku. But, how it was set up made it parallel to when he was with Kiku. He's trying. He knows that, the ring on his finger reminding him to let go and enjoy the present while thinking of tomorrow.

He flushed. "I… Antonio, I, I feel the same but…"

Antonio's eyes widened, "But what? Is it the fact you're a demon and I'm an angel?"

Arthur shook his head. "I, I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like this again,"

"Again? Oh," Antonio's eyes gained a sad gleam. "You loved back then."

Arthur nodded his head. "His name was Kiku. He gave me this necklace."

"I see," Antonio shook his head, wiping away tears and giving him a broken but sincere smile, "I'll wait for you then. Tell me when you're ready, for us. This won't change anything right?"

Arthur gave him a soft smile, "Of course it won't. Thank you for understanding,"

They continued as they were. The tone melancholic as Arthur told Antonio of his love with Kiku. All the while, Antonio listened without any signs of jealousy.

* * *

When he returned, he felt much more relaxed and calm. While he did speak with Captain Arthur about this, it wasn't in depth. It was a silent understanding instead of the venting he had done with Antonio. For that, he was grateful.

"Oh, Arthur, you look different." Francis commented. "Did you get laid on Earth?"

Arthur tensed, glaring at him and snapping. "Go away, Francis, I'm not in the mood,"

Francis opened his mouth before shutting it closed. He watched as Arthur headed to his room with confused eyes.

Arthur flopped to bed reflecting on whether or not he's ready for another romance that he knows will fade away. He closed his eyes, allowing the world to fade to black.

* * *

The next day, another chat, Arthur did his best to hide his excitement. He had reflected a bit and realized that he'll give it another go. Kiku would want him to be happy. Being able to vent had made him realize that he had already let go but had felt guilty about it and instead opted to _pretend_ to hold on to stem that guilt.

"Antonio," He called out, a smile on his face. "I tossed the idea around my head for a bit but… I'm ready."

Antonio looked at him in surprise, "I expected you to take longer to answer that, what changed?"

He moved closer to Antonio. "I actually let go. See, he used to be the only reason I haven't up and gone rogue in Hell. It was a reminder of better days and better times. Then, I realized I already have what I longed for already."

Antonio smiled at him and moved to hug him. "As long as you feel that you are happy with your decision, then I'm fine with it."

Antonio leaned down to look at him in the eyes. Forest green met with emerald green, Antonio leaned down towards him and they kissed.

It's soft and sweet, almost patient, allowing for him to take the reins for how this would go. Arthur smiled into the kiss.

* * *

In the distance, Francis watched with narrowed eyes, watching as Arthur kissed some random man. Why does he seem familiar? He has the vague aura of an angel but most devoted Christians have some sort of angelic aura seeing as Guardian Angels tend to touch the aura in order give them some sort of heavenly guidance. Francis watched from afar as Arthur parted from his partner, clearly male, when he stiffened.

That face, Francis shifted uncomfortably. He recognized it as Commodore Antonio. He bit his lip. Love (or would it be lust?) is something he's always been preaching. However, Francis sighed, Hell's rules and all. He watched the pair with sorrowful eyes. He wants to apologize to them. To beg them for forgiveness for what he's about to do. He's never seen Arthur this _happy_. But rules are rules, Francis bit his lip. He knows he's staring at them, gazing with pleading eyes, as if that would somehow portray his sorrow for his future actions.

Antonio wrapped an arm around Arthur, treating him gently. "How about we go to a park for our first official date?"

"That sounds lovely," Arthur gave him a cheeky smile, " _Anthony_ ,"

Francis held back a hiccup as tears ran down his face. He wonders if it's a good thing he's already in Hell because what he's about to do may as well condemn him. He's going to ruin their relationship and it's _his_ fault.

He couldn't take it anymore, couldn't take looking at _a happy couple_ with the knowledge that he'll _ruin it_.

Francis fled to report this.

* * *

Arthur was smiling for the whole day. They had done what they usually did but with much more intimacy. They talked and vented, laughing and giggling. It was intoxicating, how Antonio looks at him like he hung up the stars while mumbling against the side of his head about how his eyes were like emeralds found in a coal mine. Arthur told him the story behind the different jewellery on him. (His counterpart here had always worn them from even his life on earth, interestingly enough.)

He told him of his love with Kiku that was underneath the stars, he told him of his friend who had given him that ring as a reminder to keep going, he told him the funny story of how the earring was from two men who had been fighting to be his suitors. In turn, Antonio told him of a child he had taken in, about his devotion to Spain and how he had seen the seas as his only place of freedom away from duties.

He's never felt this free, his heart lighter than the feather still in his pocket, he feels like he could fly to Heaven with this feeling.

They had kissed and laughed till tears streamed down their faces. They had teased and grinned at one another. But most importantly, they had loved each other. Arthur wondered if this play will fade like this. He hopes it will fade so it will stay on a happy note, with hope in their hearts and love in their eyes.

But it doesn't.

It fades to black after a kiss in front of the setting sun but it doesn't finish there.

* * *

He wakes up with a pit of dread pooling in his stomach. The door knocks and a grim looking Francis glances at him with tearful eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Arthur knew where this was going. He was discovered.

"You know the rules, Arthur."

No.

"I-I told the council."

Arthur threw a dagger at Francis.

The man used his insufferable ability to become intangible and allowed the dagger to go through him. Arthur tackled him, using his wings to go faster, forgetting his ability to use magic as he tried to strangle him with his bare hands.

All the while Francis stared back with him with understanding and sorrowful eyes.

"You frog faced, lying, traitor of a-" He snarled, unable to put force into his actions. The thought of any sort of demon getting their hands on Antonio and _hurting him_ made his _blo_ _ **od boil in rage.**_

Francis allowed the tears to flow down. "I, I don't…blame you, Arthur."

Arthur crumpled into a heap as he curled into a ball, tears staining the cloths on Francis' chest. Francis hesitated before wrapping his arms around Arthur and righting them into a sitting position. Arthur snarled but didn't do anything.

* * *

Meanwhile, Antonio's facing his own dilemma in Heaven. Romano had followed him out of concern seeing as Antonio had come back looking less than happy.

"Tomato bastard," Romano mumbled, "I," He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Antonio smiled at him kindly, "Why? There's nothing to be sorry for, Roma!"

"I know about Arthur. I told them."

Antonio's smile froze on his face, stiff and unnatural.

"Excuse me? Are you okay, Roma? Do you have a fever or something?" He asked. _(Angels can't get fevers or human illnesses.)_

"I'm so sorry, Antonio," Roma cried, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry _, I'msorryI'msorry_ _ **I'msorry**_ _-"_

"-Stop." Antonio pleaded, "Stop Romano. You're joking right. You'll come around and say 'Haha, I can't believe you fell for that!' right?" Forest green eyes gazed into chocolate brown with such _a fractured look Romano thought it was a broken mirror_.

Romano's heart broke.

* * *

"I'm sorry but it had to be done," Francis mumbled softly.

"Bullcrap," Arthur glared. "You could have stayed silent."

"It-" "Stop!" Arthur snarled, shoving away from Francis. "You're repeating the same horse _filled frog shit over_ _ **and over like it'll actually make me forgive you!"**_

Francis flinched at this. "Please, I truly am sorry, Arthur."

Yao flew in. "Captain Arthur, the Council has found that it is not actually illegal to be with an angel however, your reputation has fallen. You will keep your job but your time on earth shall be limited and you must have a guard watching you to ensure you won't betray Hell. The Council has voted to not hunt the angel."

Arthur nodded his head at Yao.

"Understood," His voice is a flat monotone, devoid of any emotion.

"And Captain Arthur?"

"Yes?"

Yao glanced at him. "Be safe, I don't trust those feathered scumbags with your heart."

Arthur gave him a wan smile. "Thank you, Sergeant Yao,"

* * *

"For falling in love with a demon, that demon shall be hunted down and brought to Heaven to be branded and his horns broken while the angel charged with this crime shall be branded for all to know of his crime. Do you accept this punishment, Commodore Antonio?"

He sobbed. "I-I accept the punishment,"

Two angels, Ludwig and Gilbert, held him down to restrain him as Romano branded him on both wrists as well as his ankles.

Romano flinched at the sounds of his screams, the holy flames burning into him and branding him a criminal. Guilt gnawed on his heart and preyed on his bones, the raw screams of Antonio as his holy energy resisted to this and tried to heal the damage. Ludwig pumped him with random intervals of energy in order to disrupt the building magic. Tears streamed down his face as he thought again and again, **_'_** ** _I'm so sorry'_**.

The world faded to black and Arthur knew that he would be heading to earth.

* * *

Francis shadowed him this time. However, when no one came, Arthur became confused. This something happen? It's not illegal to be with Antonio so they wouldn't track him down and injure him.

Then Antonio did come but looking very worried for him. "Arthur, please. Go back,"

"Huh? Antonio-" "Go! Run, Heaven knows," Antonio cried, choking back a sob.

"What- Antonio," Arthur snatched his wrist and saw a brand mark. "They, they did this to you?" He began to fuss, checking him over.

"Are you injured? What did they do to you, Antonio?!"

Antonio snatched back his hand. "Please, Arthur! They're hunting you down. They don't care if I love you. Just- Go. Don't make this harder than it already is."

It was too late.

Ludwig had found them. Arthur froze in surprise. It's Germany's counterpart. He shuddered at what Ludwig might do to him.

"Arthur, go!" Antonio pushed him.

Francis came down from where he watched. He stood in front of Ludwig with a French sabre in his hand. "This is neutral territory,"

"For falling in love with a demon, the angel and the demon shall be branded and the demon's horns shall be broken." Ludwig retorted as if that ends all arguments.

"Neutral territory, you do not want to aggravate us into invading earth, Ludwig," France narrowed his eyes while Arthur stood behind him. His hands ready to summon magic to the surface. Behind Ludwig is Antonio, who's pleading for him to go and run.

Arthur stepped around Francis. "I'll take the punishment."

"No!" Antonio reached out for him, tears falling freely.

Francis looked at him in shock, "You'd willingly get your horns _broken?!_ "

Arthur smirked at Francis. "It's better than being at a stand-off. It's not like I'm able to die,"

"Still, your horns won't grow back," Francis tried to reason.

"Please don't do it," Antonio whispered brokenly. His eyes wide and gleaming with unshed tears.

Arthur smiled at Antonio and hugged him before cupping his cheek, "Don't worry. It'll be over before you know it." He kissed him on the cheek.

Antonio held onto him. Arthur sighed. "Please, just let me go,"

Ludwig ripped Antonio away from him. "That is enough."

Romano and Gilbert appeared there. Romano is grimacing at the situation while Gilbert stood with a blank expression.

"Let's get this over with," Ludwig said, restraining Arthur and pumping enough holy energy to force him into his natural demonic form.

"For falling in love with an angel, your horns shall be broken and you shall be branded." Romano lifted a shaking hand and pushed the horn with all his might.

 _Snap!_

The horn broke and Arthur howled in pain.

Francis flinched. Romano choked back a sob and Antonio wailed.

 _Snap!_

Blood leaked from where the horns had been. Arthur's eyes were glazed over with pain as Romano gulped and began to brand him.

Arthur writhed and keened. Ludwig and Gilbert had to fight to keep him down as he cried and roared in pain. Antonio took solace from being held in the arms of a wincing Francis, the man sobbing at the sound of his lover hollering in pain or crying in agony.

Soon enough it was over and they were left alone with only a bleeding Arthur, a worried Francis and a tearful Antonio.

Arthur tried to smile at him. "See! No need to fuss over me, I'm fine!"

Antonio slapped him.

Arthur winced at the additional pain but figured he sort of deserved it.

"Don't try that with me, Arthur. Left me heal you," He said, lifting up a glowing hand.

Arthur sighed, "Either way, you'll fix me right up,"

Antonio cradled his head in his lap; giving him access to Arthur's bleeding horns. Arthur knew he's too exhausted to put the glamour over himself to look human so he simply laid there with Francis as lookout.

"All better," Antonio smiled, helping Arthur sit up. "Francis, please bring him back, he'll recover quicker there than on earth."

Francis nodded his head and bent down to pick him up. Arthur had long passed out in the arms of his lover.

"Make sure he recovers," Antonio said softly.

"I will."

* * *

England woke up to the room he was in. The Scones plush sat next to him as if to comfort him, his eyes wide with the lasting image of Antonio crying over him. He shook his head and found a silver feather charm on a bracelet sitting on top of his violin.

He picked up the bracelet and put it on. He hoped that his counterpart in that play will be alright and flops down onto the bed for some much needed sleep. He's still tired from what had happened.

(That was the first time he had seen Spain in tears. England remembered learning more about Spain's counterpart and wondered how much of that is true to the original. He had learned to let go of the pass while enjoying their memory. England thanked Antonio for reminding him of that fact and teaching him to love instead of treating them as friends. England hoped that Antonio had reached a happy ending with that Arthur.)

* * *

 **And done! That was a whirlwind eh? That took a lot longer than I expected it to be. I would like to thank the Pirates of the Caribbean theme as well as those Pirate England AMVs on YouTube, Alestorm (Wolves of the Sea in particular) and my ability to forget the time. I couldn't resist having another Pirate England, especially with a Conquistador Spain but I felt that wouldn't be fun enough without the idea of a demon and an angel falling in love. I figured England would be the demon as he's well, a pirate and Spain as an angel would be great! I don't see much AUs for this with different pairings other than USUK so it would be fun to give SpUk a chance at having the spotlight. Anyway, that's enough of me rambling, I hope you have a good day! (Or night!)**


	8. Chapter 8: Flowering Grave

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Note: Mentioned character death**

* * *

Chapter 8: Flowering Grave

* * *

England woke up with a gasp.

He had been dreaming of the last play he had been in. The pain had been enough to knock him out even with the healing touch of an angel. He held onto Scones tightly. The plush cat being enough to calm him down from his nightmare, England shuddered. The nightmare was hazy, thankfully enough the only thing he remembered was pain and desperation.

Scanning the bland room, England revised his statement. Perhaps he did have a feeling on what he was having nightmare was about. As much as these adventures and romances thrilled him from the dullness of paperwork and a world meeting, it's only some twisted illusion. He's not at home here, merely making do. He'll treasure those moments and while sometimes he wants to be in that world, he knows it will _never_ be his own.

The violin had been used as a way to portray his emotions, loud and intense as he played away his frustration until he couldn't handle it anymore. Memories of the plays, flashing through his mind even when his eyes were closed, the music escalating and getting louder and louder until he cut himself off and couldn't keep playing.

He took a deep breath.

Right, he should head to the next play, no use lingering on what happened when he can't change it.

England raised an eyebrow at the next one. He's apparently someone who steals flowers from a person's garden on the way to the cemetery, but he's been caught and must bring the person along as the person demanded to make sure the "girl is pretty enough to warrant flower theft" and he's trying to figure out how to break it to the person that they're on their way to a graveyard. That's…oddly specific.

Still, will the person who died be a person he once knew? The counterpart of a country, a historical figure, England hummed, there's only one way to find out.

He fell.

* * *

As expected, the world blurred and the winds rushed around him, bringing with it the scent of flowers. This time he falls into a bed and is knocked out.

" _Flowers!" A young Alfred cheered, "Davie'll be super happy bout this."_

 _Arthur smiled at his adopted brother, technically his nephew, who began to cough erratically.._

" _Ah!" Arthur rushed to him. "Be careful next time or you'll-"_

" _-I'll start coughing too much, I know, I know," Alfred rolled his eyes. "You say that every time, big brother."_

 _Arthur gave him a sad smile and said, "I know you're getting tired of this, Al, that's why we're going to Francis' place for those flowers,"_

 _Alfred perked up. "We get to see Uncle Francis?"_

" _That's right," Arthur nodded his head. "Are you ready?"_

 _Alfred grinned at Arthur, "I'm ready! Let's go, let's go!"_

 _They arrived at the flower shop and as they were buying purple flowers, that England recognized as the flowers Young America had asked for when he was still a child, Alfred began to cough and collapsed onto the floor as his body shook with coughs and tears of pain flowed down his chubby face._

 _The scene (false memory?) changed to a hospital room and a grimacing Arthur, who had to tell little Alfred that Davie is moving to a new town because of his parents._

 _The line beside him fell flat._

Arthur gasped for air. He surveyed the room to see walls painted to look like an open field with flowers and grass, pictures of him and a female version who he believes to be Alice as well as him and Alfred. There's some sketches as well, some obviously made by a child while others with much more skill and refinement.

"Well, that's a new one," He'll admit, it's quite jarring to see Young America again. The notebook sat beside him on his bedside, in an instant Arthur grabbed it.

' _Name: Arthur F. Kirkland_

 _Age: 25_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Occupation: Graphic Designer_

 _Backstory: Alfred F. Jones is the nephew of Alice F. Jones nee Kirkland, Arthur's twin sister. Sadly, the husband left and Alice had died from a heart attack, leaving young Alfred in the care of Arthur. However, Alfred was a sickly child who soon died following his mother to the other side. Depressed and a nervous wreck, Arthur fell into his job and art to give him solace while his friend Francis helps him recover. Alfred's love for flowers led to many flower related art works that Arthur has drawn in his free time, many of which has a nostalgic, melancholic or nostalgic atmosphere as part of the healing process. Arthur has recovered from his previous state and now visits Alfred's grave as many times as possible to change the flowers in the flower vase as well as vent about life.'_

Arthur sighed, well then, he should go and visit Alfred then.

He stood up and passed by a mirror, reminding him to change clothing. This brought the fact he did not have the jewellery or the tattoos on him. It's been a while since he didn't have any of the reminders of the previous plays. Once he's actually dressed and ready to go, he allowed his feet to carry him.

He stumbled upon the garden that his counterpart here has been stealing from. He figured he might as well follow through with the plot and picked a blue flower.

"Hey! It's you again, aru!"

Arthur paled, so the one the he's stealing from is Yao?!

"Don't you dare run away again, you flower thief!" Lo and behold, Yao in all his Chinese glory, hair in a ponytail and wearing a red shirt and plant jogging pants.

Arthur stayed frozen like a deer in headlights.

Yao stopped in front of him with an angry expression, crossing his arms he declared, "I want to see if the girl you're giving it to is pretty enough to warrant flower theft,"

"Oh, uhm, about that-" Arthur stammered.

"No dawdling! Lead the way, thief!" He demanded angrily.

Arthur sighed, "At least call me 'Arthur' or 'Mr Kirkland', being called 'Thief' makes me sound like I'm a criminal!"

Yao sniffed haughtily, "Fine. I'm Yao Wang, call me 'Yao'. Now, go, time's ticking."

Arthur took the flower with him and bit his lips as he continued his trek to the cemetery. Now how to say this politely? He glanced at Yao, who looked dead set on meeting this 'girl'. He glanced at the flower, noticing the fact it is in fact the same flower that he had given young America.

"Erm, Yao?" He began.

"No talking. Keep walking," Yao ordered.

Arthur sighed. No use trying to break it to him, Yao will learn eventually. (England bit back a smile. Classic China, even his counterpart has his stubbornness.)

* * *

All too soon they arrived at the cemetery, Yao glanced around uncomfortably. Arthur kept going.

"I asked you to show me to the girl, aru," Yao mumbled softly.

Arthur gave him a sad smile, "It was never a girl to begin with. Come on, you wanted to meet him yes?"

Yao glanced down guilty but followed. The silence stretched on as they continued walking. Yao kept glancing at him when he thought he wasn't looking and then at the ground. Finally, they arrived at Alfred's grave. The grave is sat atop a grassy hill, overlooking a grassy field with graves scattered around it. Beside it is the grave of his mother, Alice.

"Well, this is it. Here's the person who you wanted to meet." Arthur said casually, sitting down on the grass hill. He replaced the flower in the vase eyes roaming over the tombstone.

Yao shuffled before sitting down in front of him. "I, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright." Arthur replied kindly, "You're not at fault here."

"Still, I would like to apologize for forcing you to bring me here," He gazed into Arthur's green eyes that resemble the bright grass on this hill.

"Instead of apologizing, why don't you introduce yourself to Alfred? I'm sure he's quite curious about you."

And Yao finally looked at the tombstone.

' _Alfred F. Jones, Date Born: July 4, 2010 Date Died: May 14, 2018. We will always remember your free spirit,'_

Yao winced at this. He had calculated the age and came with the age of 8.

A child, the man had been bringing flowers to the grave of a child and Yao had insensitively forced Arthur to bring him here. He bit his tongue from saying another apology. Instead, under the patient eyes of Arthur, he spoke.

"Ah, hello aru, I'm Yao Wang," He nervously said, unused to speaking to a grave.

Arthur smiled encouragingly at him as he took over. "Hello, Alfred. It's your big brother here. Remember all those flowers I keep bringing you and your mother? Well, I got them from Yao. He asked to meet you. I hope you and you're mother are doing well over there. I'm sure Alice is shaking her head at what I've been up to lately."

Yao stayed silent, listening as Arthur talked. He glanced to the one beside Alfred's grave and gulped.

' _Alice F. Jones nee Kirkland, may her wonder never cease,'_ He didn't have the heart to look at the date.

"-And Francis, being the frog that he is, tried to make it seem like he was my 'half-brother' or something like that." Arthur chuckled.

As Arthur calmed down from the story telling, Yao built up the courage to speak to him.

"Arthur, as an apology, I would like to treat you for dinner,"

Arthur looked at him in surprise. He had expected the play to fade there! But, he had thought the same thing with Antonio as well. Figures it wouldn't go the way he had expected it to.

"And, and, I'll allow you to get as many flower as you like from my garden!" Yao tacked on with a slightly panicked voice, unsure if the dinner is enough to apologize to Arthur for this. He flushed as he recalled his previous attitude to him. He was being so rude too, aiyaa!

Arthur waved a hand, "It's alright, really Yao, you didn't know…" Yao looked panicked. Arthur took one look at this and knew Yao wouldn't stop until he made it up for him in _some_ way. "Alright, fine, you can make it however you want to, Yao." He sighed.

Yao brightened up, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight, aru! You know where I live already so be there at six and dress sharp!"

* * *

That night, Arthur couldn't help but wonder where Yao will be taking him. He straightened his jacket. So far he had seen Yao in three different plays, first as a lead to Claw when he had been a spy, then as a demonic general who still held respect for him in a silent way and lastly as a gardener who is way too stubborn for his own good. It's funny how they all had different versions that still held some truth to their own personality.

He looks forward to learning more about him, seeing as China is much more willing to call him 'Opium' and has remained distant towards him. Still, he did miss the man as he complained about foreigners. They do bond over their love for tea.

"Ah, I was worried you were going to be late," Yao greeted with a grin. He began to walk, leading him to a car before opening the car door for him. "Get in, get in!"

"Okay," Arthur blushed as he was ushered into the car. Yao got in the drivers eat and drove away to their mystery destination.

"Hehe, I hope you'll enjoy this evening. We'll be dining at the Jade Dragon, we already have a reservation," He casually said.

Arthur paled, his mouth speaking before he can even think, "Wait, the Jade Dragon, as in the three star restaurant?"

Yao gave him a devilish grin, "I didn't stutter did I?"

They arrived at the restaurant, Yao parked the car and together they headed to the reserved table.

The place itself is gorgeous, well lit, chandeliers and high ceilings. The center of the ceiling has a Chinese dragon swirling in the middle, jade like the name of the restaurant.

"Now, pick a meal and don't worry about the price," Yao winked at him.

Flustered, Arthur picked what sounded delicious and Yao signaled a waiter to come. Yao named their orders and the waiter disappeared.

"So, Yao," Arthur cleared his throat. "Why did you choose this restaurant in the first place?"

"Ah, that would be because my younger brother owns the restaurant with my adopted son as the head chef," He shared, "Kiku is a smart business owner and Leon is a talented chef,"

Arthur nodded along, he knew who Kiku was and he figured Leon would be Hong Kong. "That explains a lot. Still, you didn't have to go through all this,"

"Nonsense," Yao waved off, "Just let it be aru and enjoy the food!"

He rubbed the back of his head. "So tell me, how did you come to raise Leon?"

"Oh, I found him in my garden, he had wandered in and when I asked about his parents he told me that he had none, so I took him in as my own." Yao replied fondly.

Arthur nodded along, "Alfred had been my sister's son, but when she passed away, I took him in,"

When the food arrived they were talking and trading stories of raising their children. The atmosphere is ambient and the food amazing, as they savoured their meal and spoke of their children, it soon transitioned to each other.

"Eh? A graphic designer, that's so fancy, aruyo."

"Haha, I say that being a culinary teacher has much merit,"

Conversation flowed smoothly, falling silent at times as they enjoyed each other's company.

"-Oh, I see!" Arthur leaned in closer as he listened to China describing one student he had.

"Do you have any experience cooking?" China asked him, equally as curious.

Arthur smiled in reply, "I'm a good cook but my pastries are the best,"

"Ah, I look forward to tasting them, then!"

Eventually Yao asked for the bill, ending their night.

On the drive back, Yao offered to drop him off to which he gladly agreed to.

"You're always welcome to join me," Arthur said, "When I'm visiting Al and Alice,"

Yao glanced at him, "Are you alright with that?"

"Of course," Arthur smiled, "I'd love that actually,"

Yao blushed before handing him a bouquet of the same flower he had picked. "Here, I figured you should have this- as part of the apology,"

"Thank you," Arthur flushed. He glanced at Yao before leaning towards him. "Here's my thank you, if you're alright with it?"

Yao flushed as Arthur leaned close enough to feel his breath on his cheek. "I-is that thank you a kiss on the cheek? Because I wouldn't mind it, aru,"

Arthur pecked him on the cheek. "Thank you, Yao. I hope you have a goodnight,"

"Yeah…" He mumbled a bit star struck, "You too," He watched as Arthur headed back with wide eyes.

As Arthur entered his home, the world faded to black.

* * *

The next day he figured he might as well leaf through the art that his counterpart here has made.

Flowers, soft, pastel and gentle, some of them are fields and others are that of Alfred smiling while handing over a flower to him. He smiled as he continued to find various drawings of flowers, landscapes and the sky. There's a few more drawings with Francis smiling as he held a single rose, tall and proud, another with Alice laying in the grass gazing up at the viewer with curious eyes. There are a few drawings that must have been when he went through the grief of his family, where there's an image of him crying in front of a grave while Alfred and Alice's spirits comfort him. Arthur flipped through those ones faster, feelings that it's an invasion of sorts to see those.

Then he came upon another drawing a beautiful flower garden bursting with life. Said flower garden is in fact, Yao's garden.

Speaking of which, he glanced at the bouquet that now sat in a vase. He might as well draw that. Like always, he allowed the knowledge to guide him as he took out art supplies and began to draw. As he did so, his mind brought up the image of Yao holding the bouquet to him.

The end result is Yao standing in front of him with the bouquet and a flustered yet happy smile.

There's knocking on the door. "Coming!"

He kept the art supplies hastily and closed the drawing book. He rushed towards the door and opened it to reveal Francis. "Arthur! So nice to you,"

"Right, get in," He grouched.

He led Francis to the living room, "Tea?" Francis smiled, "Please,"

He rushed to make tea and Francis admired the bouquet. "Say, Arthur?"

"Yes?"

Francis grinned, "Did you get a date without telling me?"

Arthur spluttered, almost dropping the tea cups, "What? What made you think that?!"

"The bouquet, I know you don't get these, you didn't have them and they're obviously real flowers. I didn't give it to you, you don't like to buy them from anyone other than me, so it must have been a date," Francis enumerated, counting his fingers for every argument.

Arthur froze, "It's not a date! Yao wanted to apologize to me, so he merely treated me to dinner,"

Francis raised an eyebrow, "Oho? Who's Yao?"

"Ah, I didn't tell you this but whenever I'm heading to the cemetery, I steal flowers from a nearby garden." Arthur admitted a bit flustered, "The owner of that garden caught me and asked me to bring him along."

"Oh dear," Francis moved to him. "And he apologized by treating you to dinner and getting you a bouquet?"

"Er, well, yes. He kept insisting!" Arthur replied. "It wasn't an actual date."

Francis chuckled, "Are you sure? Because it sounds exactly like a date, did you kiss him?"

"Uhh," Arthur flushed, recalling his rather impulsive move. In his defence, he's used to somewhat finding love with this and that, though they're all different and such he still loves them.

Francis grinned mischievously, "He treated you to dinner, he gave you flowers, I'm sure you had an enjoyable time together, you kissed him at the end, that sounds awfully like a date does it not?"

Arthur sighed, "While it may seem like a date on my side, I'm not sure he's attracted to me like that, he did say it was to apologize,"

"Then why not talk to him about this? I think it would be good for you if you found yourself a partner," Francis nodded to himself.

"I-" Arthur tried to protest, opening his mouth to speak.

The kettle whistled.

Arthur rushed to grab the kettle and fix up the tea. Pouring a cup for him and Francis, serving it to the both of them, he diverted the conversation to how Francis has been. Francis knew this was a ploy to change the conversation but allowed him to do so. There's always a next time.

The world faded to black once more, England took a deep breath.

* * *

This time he's surprised to find himself standing near Yao's garden, a few steps away in fact. This time Yao's standing there with two flowers in his hand, light pink peonies both in full bloom.

Yao approached him, "I figured they would like a change in flower, aru, you always take the same type because it's the closest one,"

"Thank you, would you like to join me?" Arthur took the flower.

"May I?" Yao whispered as he stood beside him.

Arthur nodded his head, "Of course, you're always welcome,"

They walked together, flowers in hand.

Together they headed to the graves and replaced the flowers.

Arthur sat down and began to tell them about how Francis is doing, words flowing out of his mouth without any thought. England has long grown used to this, the way the body would take over, words spilling out of his mouth, as if controlling a puppet.

Soon he fell silent with Yao and eventually, Yao spoke.

"Ah, Arthur, this may be strange but, have you ever felt love?"

Arthur smiled sadly. Memories of his past plays flowing through his mind, Francis, Kiku, Alfred, Ivan, Antonio, he loved them all in different ways but loved them nonetheless.

"I have."

Yao nodded his head, "I sometimes wonder what it feels like, hah, I'm such an old man," He laughed a bit at himself. "I see people in love, people feeling love, and I wonder whether or not I am worth being loved."

Arthur moved closer to him and hugged him, wrapping his arms around Yao as he answered. "You are worth being loved and more Yao. I may have loved but I…I'm learning to move past the pains back then."

"Then, would you like to teach me about what it means to be in love?" He asked in a soft voice.

"Gladly,"

And so, they began dating.

Arthur brought him for dates or gave him drawings, Yao dragging him to the Jade Dragon and gifting him with bouquets of flowers with different meanings. Always they treated each other with respect. Francis began teasing him and asking to be introduced, Arthur wondering how long this love will last.

This time, he was enjoying afternoon tea with Yao in his garden, enjoying each other's presence.

"Arthur," Yao spoke up, "I'm glad you stole flowers from my garden,"

Arthur smiled. He's learnt that Yao can be a nostalgic and poetic person, worthy of being an ancient nation's counterpart.

"I'm glad you caught me,"

Yao gives the best advice, wise beyond his years and a kind soul that cares a lot. He wonders if this is what China might have become if he hadn't conquered him. Yao knows when he's feeling guilty and pokes him on the side.

"Aiyaa, don't feel guilty," Yao began, "I know you loved them and that while we may not have met if they hadn't passed away but it's no use feeling guilty over something you have no control over. In the end, what's done is done, the past is the same and the only thing we can do is move forward. I don't mean to say, forget them but instead treasure your experiences and move on. Life doesn't wait for you to catch your breath,"

Arthur scratched the back of his head. England knew it was times like this that reminded him to keep moving forward. First with Captain Arthur and now with Yao's reminder, he moved to kiss him gently on the lips. "Thank you for the reminder,"

Yao pouted, "You always need a reminder, aru. Even if you're moving on and healing, you feel guilty for moving on. Honestly, you should keep in mind that maybe they _want_ you to move on,"

Arthur chuckled, "Of course, Yao."

As they moved to kiss again, sweet and soft like the touch of a flower petal.

The world faded to the bland room.

* * *

England's eyes fluttered open to see the bland room. Instead of feeling cheated though, England accepted it. He knew Yao wouldn't like it if he had felt pangs of sorrow for not being there with him when it's out of his control.

This time, he knew he felt happy. From the small smile on his lips to the beating of his heart as he cherished the moments he had with Yao. In front of him, lays a sketch pad, he picked it up to find it blank.

This gave him an idea.

As a way of treasuring his moments and moving on from them, he would draw them to look back on fondly. England hummed, already thinking of what he'll draw first. Ah! Perhaps he should do in in chronological order? Start with Crime Boss Alfred until his time with Yao? Yes, he figured, that would be best.

Yao had taught him on how to move on much like he taught Yao how it is to be in love.

With that in mind, he began drawing his first play. The image of Alfred in a park, blue eyes gazing at the viewer with such tenderness, one can almost ignore the underlying sense of danger.

England couldn't help but smile as he glanced at the things around him. Scones on the bed, violin case on a shelf and the jewellery and tattoos in their right full place.

* * *

 **Yay! I can't help but imagine Yao putting a flower behind Arthur's ear. England did need a reminder of what Captain Arthur told him and while we have seen some cameos of him, he still hasn't come up as a love interest. So what better way than have those two things at the same time? Hope it was a fun read, have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	9. Chapter 9: Love Around the Corner

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **As requested by Daisy, a Canada x UK, it's a fun pairing even though it's fairly underground. I hope you enjoyed it!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Love Around the Corner

* * *

England took the time to finish drawing the various plays. He portrayed it with a tone and a mood and poured his heart in it. In a way, it's calmed him down better than the violin had. No offense to the thing, but it was easier to calmly draw out the memory than to relive it while trying to play away his frustrations. He gazed at the last image he had drawn, Yao in a garden, flowers all around and smiling as he said those inspiring words.

' _Life doesn't wait for you to catch your breath.'_

He smiled at this, totally at ease, Yao's right and now that his work is done, he can finally work on moving on to the next play. He reached up to touch the earrings, he's gotten so used to wearing the jewellery around that he barely notices their presence on him. The tattoos are easily ignored seeing as he always favoured long sleeves and jackets. He patted the Scones plush on the head.

"Take care, I'll be heading for another play," He said as he headed towards the poster.

' _You declare to the heavens that you will never fall in love. Aphrodite herself took it as a challenge.'_

England smiled, this will be either fun or frustrating, and either way it should be entertaining to say the least. With a single push, he fell through.

* * *

The wind rushed and brought with it a flurry of maple leaves, the scent of maple and the cold frosty air. He swatted them away and landed on a pile of leaves. It must be autumn, England thought as he got out of the pile and shook away the leaves. As he did so, he absentmindedly noted the lack of tattoos and jewellery.

He glared at the leaves and went to check his trusty notebook for his role.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 25_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Occupation: Baker_

 _Backstory: Arthur Kirkland is well-known in town for his wonderful bakery and his kind heart. His bakery is a place of magic and wonder, the people he works with know him as a kind, smart and caring person. (Once you move past the somewhat prickly exterior.) However, the only thing is, he's single and plenty of women (and men) are trying to snag his heart. This would lead to him declaring to the heavens he won't fall in love as he feels these people only care about his ability to bake as well as his kind heart without knowing more about him._

 _Note: Arthur's brothers often bullied him, leaving him with insecurities about himself, he tries his best to move past it but can't help but think about it.'_

That explains the lack of jewellery and tattoos. Arthur took a deep breath, a baker huh? Well, it would be a change of pace from being teased for his 'horrible cooking'. He huffed in amusement, he can cook fine. He does it on purpose because he's afraid of what they might say about his food. As he began walking, he bumped into a woman who was running.

"Oh hello Miss," He said as he caught her, "Are you alright?"

The woman nodded her nodded and smiled at him, "Thank you, Mr Kirkland, I'll be on my way,"

"Have a nice day, Miss!" He called out as she continued on her way.

She waved at him, "You too, Mr Kirkland!"

He moved on.

"What?! Hey, come on! She was _right there!_ You _missed her_ ," Said an incredulous voice as Hungary's counterpart came into being before his eyes.

Ah, this must be Aphrodite, Arthur figured.

"Aphro-mmhm!" She placed a hand over his mouth, looking around for any people.

"Sh! Don't draw attention to me, I'm undercover! Call me Elizabeta here," She hissed at him.

He removed her hand from his mouth and sighed, "Look, Elizabeta, I don't want to fall in love with someone who doesn't really care,"

Her eyes widened as she learned of his reason, "So if someone who wanted to learn more about you came in…you would fall in love?"

"Don't force someone to like me," He growled at her.

Elizabeta rolled her eyes, "I can't force it. Love comes naturally. All I can do is convince a person to stick around so they can see if they have the chemistry."

"Alright, then, I should get going, the bakery won't run itself now." Arthur walked off. His feet taking him to the place entitled 'Wonderland Bakery'.

The place itself is a beautiful and magical place, bright and magical with a lot of life and love. The walls were painted and the tables looked like something out of a garden perfect for afternoon tea. The atmosphere of the place can only be described as wondrous yet homely. He cheerfully went to work, baking the pastries alongside two other people, Alfred and Francis. Throughout the day, he would bake and smile, delegating tasks and doing his best.

Then in came a man wearing a red sweater with a white maple leaf stamped on the front, instantly, Arthur knew who it was.

He smiled as he greeted their customer. "Hello and welcome to Wonderland!"

The man smiled back shyly, "Hello, I would to get Blueberry Knave Tartlets,"

Arthur gave as requested, "Here you go…"

"Matthew, Matthew Williams," He replied with a smile.

"Matthew," Arthur nodded his head, "Please, come again,"

Watching this, Aphrodite smiled smugly. Matthew would work well to make him fall in love.

Arthur closed the bakery, tired from a hard day of work. Still, he's satisfied with the items he has baked, which he finds to be a breath of fresh air compared to when he purposefully burned things.

As he walked back to his home, he bumped into Matthew again.

"Oh, hello Matthew," He greeted warmly.

Matthew smiled back at him, "Hello, Mr Kirkland,"

"Did you enjoy your food?" He asked, waiting in anticipation. Maybe with this he'll feel much better about actually cooking for the other countries.

"I did, it was very delicious! The tartlets were wonderfully done and it tastes like heaven," Matthew praised, causing Arthur to blush.

"Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed them, seeing as it's a Friday I made the tarts," He confessed.

Matthew nodded attentively. "I see! Say, may I ask what brought the idea of a Wonderland themed bakery?"

"Oh!" Arthur smiled, "Well, as a child I always enjoyed the books, they gave me a sense of wonder which helped me through my childhood when times were tough. I want to give that sense of wonder for those in need of it."

Matthew gazed at him with wide eyes, "That's…that's an admirable goal, Mr Kirkland,"

"Please, call me Arthur," He replied with a soft smile watching as Matthew checked his watch.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry but it's getting late. I have to go now, I'll see you later Arthur!" He waved him farewell and hurried off home.

Arthur smiled as he watched the retreating back of Matthew.

"You like him."

And there goes the mood, Arthur thought wryly, turning around to see Aphrodite-sorry, Elizabeta standing there.

"What of it? He's a nice person," He replied grumpily, crossing his arms.

Elizabeta frowned, "So, ask him on a date. He's single, he's nice and he's not half bad,"

"How about, I don't ask him on a date?" He replied, stomping off to his home.

Elizabeta scowled at him. She narrowed her eyes before smirking, one of his staff members knows Matthew and they're both single so why not have them on a blind date? With a giggle, the goddess in disguise disappeared to whisper an idea.

* * *

The world became black. Arthur took a deep breath, using the darkness to take a breather. How interesting, he'll be with Canada's counterpart, he remembered when Canada comforted him after the Revolutionary war. Canada had seen a broken side of him and he stayed there to comfort him. Arthur knew that Canada's counterpart would be as caring as he is.

He came back to the closing of the bakery. Francis sticking around to help him as Alfred packed up his things.

"See you, boss!" Alfred waved goodbye.

"See you tomorrow, Al," Arthur replied as he took his own things.

Francis stood behind him as he locked up the bakery.

"Ah, Arthur, I was wondering if you can do me a favour?"

Arthur turned toward Francis. "Alright, what's the favour?"

"I know you don't like going on dates and blind dates but…" He rubbed the back of his neck, "I have a friend and well, he's single…"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, "You want me to go on a blind date with him?"

Francis clasped his hands together, bowing as he said, "Just one date and it's up to you! It's just…he really needs to go out more and he's quite shy, and I know you won't intentionally hurt his feelings,"

Arthur sighed, "Fine, just one date. You owe me for this."

"Great! Just go to Maple Plaza, Cedar Street, right in front of Possibilitea, at 1 pm," Francis listed, "Oh, before I forget, the name of your date is Matthew Williams, he has blue eyes, glasses and cute little curl,"

"I see. Did you talk to him already?" He asked, better not let Francis knows he already knows Matthew.

Francis grinned in excitement. "Oui, oui! Seeing as you're well known in town, I didn't tell him your name, all he knows is that you have green eyes, blond hair, thick eyebrows and-"

"-Okay that's enough, I'll be sure to prepare for that tomorrow then." Arthur cut him off with a sigh.

"Wonderful, wonderful," Francis chirped, "See you tomorrow Arthur,"

The man walked away, obviously on cloud-nine.

"Sheesh, Elizabeta, I know you set this up. For once, you actually picked a good person," He muttered into the chilly autumn cold.

Elizabeta grinned smugly, "Love always finds a way,"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, might as well figure out what to give Matthew. I can't just show up to a date empty handed, maybe strawberry shortcake?"

As he walked away the world turned black once more.

* * *

"Possibilitea," Arthur mumbled as he checked his watch, on the lookout for Matthew. Ah, there he is! He jogged up to him, careful not to jostle the slice of cake.

Arthur approached him, "Hello Matthew, apparently you're my blind date,"

"Eh? Really," He flushed.

"Well, it wouldn't be a proper date if we didn't go and eat." Arthur replied with an easy going smile.

Matthew nodded his head, "R-right!"

Arthur stretched out a hand and allowed Matthew to take it into his own. "Don't be shy now, love, you're in good hands,"

"Yeah," Matthew smiled as he relaxed.

They dined at a close by restaurant named 'Savoury's Classics'.

"So, Matthew, what do you do for a living?" Arthur asked.

Matthew hummed, "I'm a professional photographer,"

Arthur hummed, "Really? You must have a good eye for those sorts of things."

"I do! Right now I'm doing an autumn shoot," Matthew said excitedly. "The timing and the location is just right for those sorts of things,"

"That's wonderful! Do you have any hobbies?"

And so the night went on, they finished their dinner, and then went out on a walk through the plaza. That night, he learnt about Matthew's likes and dislikes, seasons he loves and times of day. He learnt that Matthew does hockey in his free time and enjoys tasting different foods and pastries. They exchanged phone numbers and chatted about each other's jobs and hobbies. Arthur spoke of his art and Matthew, his shots. They exchanged stories of what they experienced, like when Matthew had to take a picture of a moose once or when Arthur had been so flustered, he burned some scones.

He smiled as he watched Matthew enjoying his time with him. The man gazing up at the stars with wide eyes and a happy smile on his face, unaware of Arthur's loving gaze. (England felt better, lighter, calmer, now that he learnt from his time with Yao. Otherwise, he would have felt a pang of regret.) Arthur held the cake. He'll give it to Matthew when he escorts him home.

"I look forward to seeing you again," Matthew whispered, leaning in to give him a soft peck on the lips.

"Oh, Matthew," He reached out to grasp the hand of Matthew, handing him the cake. "Have a good night,"

Matthew grinned, "You too, Arthur,"

As soon as Matthew disappeared from sight, a smug Elizabeta sang behind him. "So, what's this about not falling in love?"

He sighed, "Fine, you were right,"

"That's right. Now, have fun with your boyfriend," Elizabeta waved goodbye and disappeared from existence.

The world faded away to the bland room.

* * *

This time he didn't feel much other than simple happiness. He is grateful for this and he enjoyed it. Still, he has an idea or two for what to draw. With a small smile at the little Maple leaf charm that appeared on his bracelet, he sat down to draw Matthew's sparkling eyes as he decorated the world in the wonderful warm tones of autumn. His face lit bright with a smile as he spoke.

(England felt a pang of longing to see his own countries instead of these counterparts. They remind him of what could have been and what can become if he wasn't so bloody scared to be rejected like he has been in the past. He can't help but wonder if the countries would smile as beautifully as their counterparts have. He wants to see them smile and he's starting to feel lonely seeing as he's the only one who truly knows him as himself as a country and not a pre-made role.)

* * *

 **Here you go Daisy! I hope you enjoyed it, such a cute pairing, I can't help but smile at the image of Arthur and Matthew walking hand in hand through the autumn leaves. I would have liked to make it longer but I felt that it would have been too stretched out if I did. Still, they're such a cute couple, happy and in love! Hungary's counterpart made a quick cameo as Ultimate Shipper because why not? XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	10. Chapter 10: Horns and Wings!

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **Note: Bullying (Like, the BTT as bullies please don't hurt me but I needed a group of bullies)**

* * *

Chapter 10: Horns and Wings!

* * *

England sighed in satisfaction. The drawing is finished, revealing the autumn colours and the soft facial features of Matthew.

"Hmm, I think this turned out wonderfully," He stated out loud. Sometimes the room can be so silent, to the point of sickening. He's aware that if he was anyone else, he may as well be broken but he's a country, he's stronger than that.

With a nice and easy swish and flick, he used his magic to clean up the supplies for him. "Well, I should get going. The roles won't fill themselves yes? Another day, another play and all that,"

He patted Scones and closed up the sketchbook. His earring swung with the motion, his tattoos peeking out from his sleeves. England knows that he's used to it now. The weight of the necklace, the swing of his earring, the colour on his arms from the flowers and the bracelet warm on his skin. He glanced at the violin, the sketchbook and the plush doll of Scones as he passed by them. Each one with a memory and a story that only he knows, England can't help but wonder about whether or not he'll be able to keep the items as they are.

A note popped up and without wasting a beat, he opened it to see his unspoken question answered.

' _You will be able to keep what you bring with you. This includes magical spaces that stored the items. What you leave in the room will be gone forever.'_

England crumpled it and tossed it to the side, ignoring the fact it popped away to never existing. He has a play to enjoy. Which is an interesting one, he hummed. This play detailed how he woke up with two small lumps on his back, just around his shoulder blades. His friend (whoever it will this time) has a similar dilemma but with two zit like lumps on their forehead. Horns begin to protrude from theirs while feathers grow from his, in a month he has large white, dove-like wings while the friend has long curling horns.

He licked his lips. Hopefully he won't have to deal with the growth process.

With a simple push, he fell.

* * *

He closed his eyes, enjoying the wind beneath him. He knows the world is a blur and it feels as if nothing is there beyond him, the wind and the sky. As always he can't help the carefree smile on his face as he enjoyed the feeling of freedom that came from simply falling from the sky.

He landed on a bed with an alarm clock ringing in his ears. With a groan, he smacked it to a silent and noticed the lack of wings. With a muttered curse, he removed his shirt and rushed to the mirror, turning around he noticed the small lumps on his back.

"Not like I can do anything but wait it out. Might as well check my role," He grumbled to himself, grabbing the notebook from the study desk on his room.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 16 years old_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Occupation: Student of Hetalia High_

 _Backstory: Arthur Kirkland currently lives with his three brothers, in terms of age we have, Alistair the eldest, Aaron the second eldest, Dylan and Arthur. As the youngest of three brothers, he is often bullied and teased by them. Much to his dismay, he's also bullied at school by Francis, Antonio and Gilbert. Arthur is incredibly smart and while misunderstood, he is actually caring and quite the romanticist, though he acts callous and cynical due to the constant bullying. His best friend is Lovino Vargas. His other friend, Alfred goes to another school._

 _Note: They often speak to each other in sign language whenever they're too far away or can't actually say what they want to say out loud. This helps them both due to the fact they have a harder time expressing their feelings verbally.'_

So he's playing the tragic genius trope, is he? With the fact he'll be having angel wings, he would also be under the underdog trope as well. Arthur hummed, this will be interesting. He wonders if he can use his magic here seeing s he's growing wings.

With a glance at the time, he muttered a curse and changed into the uniform. In record time he got down and noticed the place empty. A sticky note is placed on the fridge.

' _Hey! We'll be out for the entire day so be sure to clean up the house or else! –Alistair_

 _P.S. We didn't bother cooking you food because we know you can cook it yourself. Be sure to buy stuff for the fridge, the fridge is pretty empty. -Aaron'_

Arthur shook his head, might as well fix up some cereal and eat it or else he'll be late.

The moment he walked out of his home he's greeted by an irritated Lovino, "What took so long?" Hmm, it's the counterpart of Romano huh? How interesting. He wonders how close he will be with this counterpart seeing as he barely talked to actual person.

Arthur bit his lip, "I er, I woke up with these lumps on my back, so I spent a slight majority of my time panicking about these,"

"Eh? Are you okay now?" He asked worriedly, moving behind him to run a hand on his back and found the lumps around the shoulder blades, he frowned as he lightly touched it, "It doesn't hurt does it?"

Arthur creased his eyebrows together, "Not really, but please don't touch it,"

"I see, if it's any help, I woke up with these," Lovino held his bangs up to reveal two zit-like lumps.

"You think something's going on?" He asked as they began walking.

Lovino sighed, "I can't say for certain but they have to be connected somehow."

"Yeah, though, we'll have to wait and see," Arthur commented, biting back the urge to spill the fact they'll grow into horns and wings.

The world faded to black before coming up again to the middle of the hallway.

"I'll see you later, Arthur," Lovino waved, eyes shining with worry.

Arthur waved goodbye and nodded, "You too, Lovino," He did the sign language for _'I'm fine'_ his thumb on his chest as he maintained eye contact with Lovino. Lovino frowned but nodded his head in reply.

With that he headed off to class, "Woah! Hey there, Eyebrow Freak! Didn't see you over there," Gilbert laughed as he shoved Arthur out of his way.

"See you in lunch, you ugly bastard," He waved off as he went to join a waiting Francis and Antonio.

Arthur scowled behind his back and kept walking. He allowed the world to fade as he entered the classroom.

* * *

The bell rang and the world came back into view, he quickly followed the crowd only to be dragged back inside.

"Where do you think you're going?" he held back a wince as the lumps collided with the cold hard wall.

He glared at the person who cornered him, that person being Antonio. He held back the urge to scream, to cry, _to hug him and tell him how much he was worried because this Antonio is different._ Much like Francis, he knew that this Antonio did not care about him. He's not the angel that begged for him to run away nor is he the angel that told him he loved him. Perhaps, Arthur thought while ignoring the way Antonio jeered, Francis and Gilbert at his side, that's what hurts the most.

"-y, are you even listening to me, you arrogant ass?"

He held his glare.

Francis moved in close, "Oh? Not speaking today? Could it be… he thinks he's actually better than us?"

"Haha! How pathetic, compared to the awesome me, he's not even a fly!" Gilbert leaned in and forced Arthur to look at him, "Hey! Say something!"

"Something," Arthur replied in a monotone voice. England couldn't help but smile inwardly at his cheek.

"Eh?! You think you're being funny huh?" Francis scowled, "Let's show him what we got, that should teach him!"

Arthur couldn't help the feeling of dread. He is a human in this, not a country so he doesn't have troops to guard and battle alongside. Antonio slammed him to the floor. Francis grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked him up while Gilbert grabbed the erasers from the chalkboard.

"This should be a good reminder," Gilbert leered as he clapped the eraser on each side of his head, clouding his face with dust while slapping him harshly.

Meanwhile, Francis and Antonio laughed at his misery.

Gilbert stopped when there wasn't any chalk left, setting back the eraser as Francis let go of his hold on Arthur and Antonio stepped around him with a face of distaste.

Soon he was left alone, coughing from the chalk dust and gathering himself up. His respect for his counterpart in this play rose up as he fixed his bag. He glanced around for any sign of life before checking to see if he has his magic. To his surprise a small amount of it trickled out slowly and glowed a soft green as he casted a healing spell on himself.

He'd rather not explain to Lovino the bruises from the rough handling as he's sure Lovino would like to check his back.

As he grabbed his bag, he headed to the rooftops.

Lovino frowned, "You're late," _again_ , Arthur tacked on mentally.

Arthur sighed. "I know,"

Lovino moved towards him, shutting the door and dragging him to their usual spot before sitting behind him. "Does it hurt?"

"Ah, well, not really," Arthur replied, shivering as a breeze blew while Lovino lifted up his shirt to touch the lumps. "It's quite sensitive though,"

Lovino hummed as he dropped back the shirt. "At least you aren't injured,"

"Yeah…" He mumbled as he turned around to face Lovino. "What about you? Does it hurt?"

Arthur reached to brush away the bangs of Lovino, his thumb caressing one of the zit-like lumps.

"No, it doesn't, come on, just focus on your food,"

They ate in a comfortable silence.

"Hey, are _they_ bothering you again?" Lovino asked out of the blue.

Arthur licked his lips, "It's nothing really, nothing I can't handle-"

"That's a lie and we both know it." Lovino cut in, "You won't say a word because you don't want to be a bother to others, chigi."

Arthur flinched. Lovino placed his hands on his shoulders. "You're too nice for your own good sometimes. Honestly," He relaxed, softly continuing, "You may act like you don't care but I know you care too much."

"I know," He replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "But, I'll be fine as long as you're here right, Lovino?" He smiled at Lovino brightly.

Lovino flushed. "H-hey, I won't be here forever! But…" He cupped Arthur's face, "I'll do my best to protect you."

Arthur blushed at this. "Ah- Well, don't-don't screw up, got it?"

"Of course, what do you take me for, my brother?" Lovino huffed in amusement, dropping his hand to brush his bangs aside.

He couldn't help the snort of laughter that came from his mouth. "Hah!"

"What kind of reaction was that?" Lovino grouched.

Still shaking from laughter, he signed, _"_ _You looked like you belong in a cologne commercial!"_

Lovino smiled even while he went to poke Arthur on the forehead. "Oh yeah? I'll show you cologne commercial,"

Thus they spent the rest of the lunch poking each other and laughing at poorly done jokes. They signed as much as they spoke. Arthur couldn't help but think about how this is what he should be feeling. (England misses the wacky moments that he's apart of or witnesses. Be it in a world meeting or thoughts of simple joy from his magical friends. Is it just him or is he starting to miss his own countries the closer he becomes with the various counterparts?)

* * *

As the end of classes arrived, Arthur tried his best to leave and meet up with Lovino.

"Hey! It's our turn to clean but I don't want to," Gilbert threw the broom at Arthur. "See ya!"

With a little wave, Gilbert left the classroom, leaving Arthur to clean the classroom by himself.

Arthur sighed, this will be a _long_ play.

"Ah," He turned to see Lovino at the door.

Lovino frowned, his arms crossed as he scanned the room. "He left you again."

"Yeah,"

He dropped is bag and reached for a broom, a scowl on his face. "Honestly, that guy. I don't get why those bastards act that way to you. They're fine with everyone _but_ you, it's grating on my nerves!"

Arthur rubbed his back, "Please, I'd rather it be me than someone else,"

"Damn it!" Lovino cussed as he gripped the broom tightly, "Why do you always have to be so goddamn nice?!"

"I'm not that nice, the entire school can agree on that-"

"-Well the entire school doesn't know shit like I do." Lovino grouched.

Arthur sighed. "Please, leave it as is, Lovino."

"…Fine," He averted his eyes.

"Lovino…" England mumbled, "I think you're nice too,"

Lovino blushed, "Don't say those kinds of things, you-!"

Arthur laughed as he dodged the pokes from Lovino. "Focus! At this rate we won't be done with the classroom,"

"Then don't say those sorts of things, chigi!"

Arthur grinned.

* * *

The day's passed bay like this, sometimes Alistair would dump him with chores, Dylan would make him do his homework and Aaron would talk down at him. If Arthur had anything to say about this, it would be quite a Cinderella-type setting. The days rolled one with the lumps getting larger and larger, Lovino's taken to wearing a bandana underneath his hair in order to hide the growing lumps. As usual, Francis, Antonio and Gilbert would bully him in many ways without touching traditional bullying techniques such as the toilet one.

(He's managed to get used to seeing the face of a former love bullying him. While it hurts to see a face once filled with love glare at him, he knows it isn't the one who he'd fallen in love with.)

Lovino remains pissed at how he's dealing with the bullying but otherwise leaves it alone when they deal with the odd lumps or when they general speak in pure sign language. Recently, the lumps have developed a structure, turning into small versions of what is to come. His lumps have turned into developing winglets that he constantly heals to ensure they develop right while little horns poke from his.

It seemed like those were the only things that were changing, that is until Arthur opened his mouth to reply to his brothers in a fit of frustration.

"I have homework to do you know? I'm not some bloody servant of yours!"

They paused. Alistair flushed, Aaron couldn't look him in the eye and Dylan covered his lower face, but Arthur can see his ears are red. What?

"Guys? What's wrong? Did you all get sick or something?"

Alistair walked towards him and held him tightly, "You can't go to school tomorrow."

"Eh? But-" Aaron joined the one sided hug. "-No can do, Arthur, no school for you,"

"Not you too, Aaron!" He yelled in shock.

Dylan nodded his head. "Yeah, you can't go to school like that!"

He pouted, "You three! Honestly, at least tell me why!"

Unknown to him, he looked absolutely adorable. His wide green eyes shining with confusion, pouty lips and his recently developed voice of an angel all combined to make him much more angelic and thus much more precious. His brothers all loved him and were unsure how to express their feelings of care and such their attention became a negative thing as they had tried to gain his attention.

He glared at them, "What did I do this time? I have to go to school. I have an English quiz tomorrow,"

"Then don't talk. No one gets to hear your voice except us." Dylan reasoned out. After all, Arthur looks much more upset than usual. And his voice was the one that set them off.

Arthur sighed, "Then how will I answer in class?"

"You know sign language right? The school knows you know sign language so why don't you use that? You can say you lost your voice or something." Aaron replied, Alistair let go of him.

"That's a good idea, ain't it? And uh, you can just enjoy yourself. We'll take care of all the chores from here," Alistair said, crossing his arms and flushing.

With that said, they pushed him back to his room to 'relax'. Alone in his room, Arthur removed his shit to check his growing wings. He can stretch it and its growing feathers. It's not full grown or even half grown, if anything it's only a quarter of the size it'll be. He wonders how he'll deal with the fully grown wings. Perhaps he'd have to use a pocket dimension in order for the wings not to be injured? Yes, that should work. He frowned, seeing as he's gaining stronger magic, he should teach Lovino about magic.

He doesn't have enough magic to make a pocket dimension, he reckons he'll be able to make one once his wings are half way grown.

Arthur meanwhile can only cast a spell for his wings to phase through his clothes and make it invisible in order to give it the ability to stretch and breath. He should to the same for Lovino or teach him that as well. He nodded his head and wrote that down in his planner. Lovino had been complaining about the fact his bandanas are gaining holes from the horns.

The next day, he greeted Lovino and when Lovino replied back, he realized why his brothers had reacted the way they did. Lovino's voice had gained a slightly demonic and unsettling tone to it that can only be reserved for a demon while Lovino pointed out that his voice sounds like an angel's. Their situation grew clearer from this. They're becoming some sort of Angel and Demon. Because of that they resolved to speak sign language and only sign language unless around each other.

" _Lovino, have you lately been able to do…I don't know, magic?"_ Arthur signed as they went on their merry way.

Lovino hummed before nodding his head. _"Yeah, so far I learned I can do the standard magic of floating and shit. Though using fire is the easiest."_

Arthur nodded his head, glancing around before making a magic circle. "I found some magic books. My family's been into magic, the occult and Wicca for a long time now so I have some sort of grasp on it."

"Right then, I'm guessing you drew a magic circle?" He replied.

"Yeah, this one allows you remain undetected. This whole magic thing is quite instinctual, so you don't have to actively think about what you're doing, instead think about what you're trying to accomplish," He lectured, slashing through the circle and causing the circle to vanish and cancel itself out.

Lovino nodded his head, "So, if I do this, then I can hide the horns?"

"Yeah, it's how I can make sure my wings don't get messed up," Arthur replied, watching as Lovino made a circle, focusing on his intent.

"So, now what?" He asked him as he held the circle.

Arthur moved to guide Lovino. "Focus on the intent and think about it applying. The circle should fade away and take effect. Depending on how long you intend for it to be in place, it should last. If you didn't place a time limit on it, it will merely end depending on the amount of magic."

"Got it," the circle faded and Lovino removed the bandana, "Ah! That's much better. The damn horns kept ripping my bandanas."

All too soon, the school came into view and they reverted back to sign language, waving each other good luck.

There wasn't any morning bullying session, which made him sigh with relief. Luckily for him, there hasn't been anything suspicious going on. He didn't even have a run in with the bad touch trio. He's become slightly paranoid and on edge because if anything, they're consistent.

He headed off to Lovino, the lunch time rush causing him to dodge various people that went to talk to friends or eat at their usual spot.

* * *

All too soon, the month ended, leaving Lovino and Arthur with horns and wings respectively. Arthur now has access to his full magic. His wings are often hidden in a pocket dimension, safe and tucked away while preventing any damage. Lovino had taken to using the same technique, the two of them warding the door and being as careful as possible to ensure they won't be caught on the roof top on lunch time when they do remove the pocket dimensions.

Their voices have stayed the same, Lovino's with a dark undertone and Arthur's with a heavenly one. Another thing they've noticed is the fact that when emotions irritated or angered, two sorts of flames come out close to them, often times simply floating around them. Lovino's flames are a bright red, angry and demonic. Arthur's flames are blue and calm. Both of them figured it was a 'Hell Fire' and 'Holy Fire' going on. The school has long figured that something happened to their voices seeing as they continued using sign language.

Luckily for him, his brothers are much more lenient towards him. Treating him nicer and more like a brother than a servant.

Right now, Arthur and Lovino are enjoying the weekend on a rooftop.

" _Ah, it's so nice to have them out, they need a good stretch."_ Arthur sighed stretching his wings and enjoying the passing breeze that ruffled his feathers.

Lovino grinned, his hand signing quickly. _"Have you ever tried flying yet?"_

" _Can't say I have,"_ Arthur replied with a thoughtful look on his face, flapping his wings experimentally.

" _Well, you could try flying now. It has stopped growing so it must be at full size,"_

Arthur walked to the side of the rooftop. _"I remember that birds toss their young off the nest in order to urge them to fly, so I could try jumping off."_

"Wait, chigi!" Lovino yelled, a hand darting out to grab him by the arm, stopping him from his plan.

Arthur turned around and smiled at him apologetically. _"Ah right, sorry. I do have a back-up plan for if it fails."_

" _Then tell me, damn it, you can't just run off and do something without alerting me. At this rate, I might be the first one to have grey hairs!"_ Lovino scowled.

" _I can use my magic to get me down safely and like I said, I have you. I trust you to catch me, anyway,"_ Arthur grinned at Lovino.

Lovino sighed, _"I'll use my magic as a platform to fly on so I can join you,"_

" _Brilliant,"_ He signed, _"I'll be heading off then, no use delaying it,"_

And just like that, he jumped.

His wings stretched and Arthur began to flap his wings, each flap he realized, is silent like an owl's. Lovino had been watching from above on the magic circle he used as a platform to hover above. Under Lovino's watchful gaze, Arthur ascended into the sky with a smile on his face.

With a few strong flaps, he's at the same level as Lovino, signing at him. _"I can fly!"_

" _I can see that, you know,"_ Lovino replied in amusement.

The two spent the rest of the day flying above the clouds, laughing aloud without a care in the world. Up above, they are far away from their troubles and worries.

* * *

School came and went, Arthur learning more about his best friend as he vented. Such as the fact that he and Antonio are childhood friends before they drifted away from each other or the fact that he used to think Gilbert was cool before realizing how he treated him. Soon, Arthur realized the growing attraction to Lovino.

It seems, Arthur smiled, he fell again.

His bullies have laid low for a while, only making calling him names, making him do all the work and shoving him out of their way. He's grown relaxed now that they haven't done anything much to him. So perhaps he should ask out Lovino. He's got nothing to lose anyway. Thus, one day while they were on the roof after classes, Arthur gathered his courage to bring Lovino to the roof and confess to him.

"Lovino, we've been friends for a long time now and…" He paused. "I hope this won't ruin our friendship but…I love you. I-I love you as more than a friend,"

Lovino stilled. His eyes brown eyes with a hint of red wide in shock. "I…"

Arthur shifted, glancing away until Lovino marched forward and hugged him. "I love you too, Arthur,"

Lovino moved to look him in the eye before kissing him lightly on the lips. "So maybe I will be there forever,"

Arthur smiled, "You will, shall we fly home? My brothers are out for the night,"

"Sure,"

Unknown to them, the bad touch trio had stayed behind in order to scare Arthur witless by almost pushing him off the roof. That way they could have the roof to themselves. Before their very eyes, they watched as Arthur gained the wings on an angel and watched as Lovino made a circle and stood above it, hover over it by a few inches, his horns bare to the world.

As Lovino held the hand of Arthur, they leapt off the roof together and flew off.

However, there's something…off about them.

" **The angel confirmed, tomorrow we eliminate him and the demon,"** Francis muttered, his blue eyes flashing a sinister red.

" **Understood,"** Antonio replied.

Gilbert stretched, **"See, I told you these vessels are worth it. We found a Purgatorian Angel and a Purgatorian Demon in one go! It's too bad we couldn't have swayed the demon to be one of us,"**

" **Hmph, honestly, I never understand why you can't simply say 'Earth', while Earth may be Purgatory combined with the normal plane, it's such a mouthful to say,"** Francis pouted.

Antonio tilted his head, **"Purgatorians have it good, they don't need to possess a vessel, plus it sounds much more interesting by saying Purgatorian instead of Earth, right?"**

" **Either way, the two must be eliminated."** Francis scowled.

" **Ah, how cruel,"** Gilbert sang, **"To think you would eliminate the ones whose souls have nowhere to go but here, forced to wander the land…"**

Antonio hit Gilbert upside the head, **"Shut up, now's not the time to be like that,"**

Francis glared at them, his blue eyes now a solid red, **"Both of you stop that otherwise I'm sending you bot back to Hell."**

" **R-right!"** They shouted in unison, scared at the idea of going back to Hell.

* * *

The next day, his brothers couldn't even look at him in the eye with how much he's smiling. He couldn't help it. This is the longest he's been in a play, an entire whole month without anything short of tragedy. Perhaps this was meant to be a light hearted play with the focus being the blooming romance between him and Lovino? Either way, this is getting quite interesting. After all, he wondered if this will end up like a typical school drama. Hmm, perhaps it'll skip to him graduating and then Lovino proposing or something like that.

Alistair finally worked up the composure to ask his brother why he's smiling so much, "Hey, Arthur, what's got ya so happy?"

"Lovino asked me out on a date this Saturday," He replied, humming as he picked up his bag.

"Well, I'm off to school, my boyfriend's waiting for me outside." He ran outside, leaving behind his brothers who watched him run off.

"So Lovino finally made a move eh?" Dylan said, glancing at his two shocked brothers.

Aaron blinked rapidly before realization sunk in, "Eh?! I didn't expect that Lovino guy to actually ask him out!"

"Well, it is to be expected," Dylan mused, "They hang out all the time and Lovino didn't treat him poorly…"

"Hey, Alistair?" Aaron poked his brother, "Are you alright there?"

No reply.

"Right, we may have to come back to him later," Dylan pointed out, walking away to his room.

Aaron shrugged and left to watch some television, leaving behind the shell-shocked brother in the kitchen.

Lovino flushed as he stretched out a hand. Arthur smiled back as he took it. The walk together was a comfortable silence. Arthur enjoyed the feeling of Lovino's hand in his, a simple warmth and comfort that he can't help but lean into Lovino as they walked.

"Ah-! Chi-chigi, you almost made me lose my balance." He mumbled, unlacing their hands in order to pull Arthur closer to him by the shoulder, he made no move to remove that arm, instead keeping it there firmly.

Arthur smothered a laugh, "But you like it anyway," As if to emphasize this, he snuck a quick peck on the cheek.

"Chigi," He mumbled, "Stop being so damn cute," He kissed the side of Arthur's head.

The school came into view and Lovino proudly held his arm around Arthur until they had to split for class. Lovino signed to him, _"I'll see you later,"_

" _Don't be late,"_ Arthur cheekily reminded.

Lovino huffed but moved to leave. _"You too,"_

The world faded to black, England figured it was because of the loose ends such as the suspiciously quiet bullies. When the world came back into view it was the end of the day on the rooftop, ready for the two of them to fly home.

"Ah, I didn't expect you to be here this late, something happened?" Lovino asked his horns out and magic circle ready. He's sitting cross legged above the circle, floating over it by a few feet.

Arthur laughed sheepishly in reply, undoing the pocket space on his wings. "Antonio forced me to clean for him,"

"Hmph, that tomato addicted bastard," Lovino growled. "Come on, it's getting late, your brothers are after my ass already, no need for them to be pissed off as it is,"

They got ready to fly, Arthur stretching his wings out and Lovino standing up.

The sound of a door opening brought their attention to it.

"Oh? Hello," Francis greeted in his normal sultry voice.

Antonio entered with a smirk and Gilbert looking down at them.

"What do you want, chigi?!" Lovino snarled flames bursting around him. His hands are stretched out, coated in red hot flames. Arthur did the same, summoning the blue flames into covering his hands.

A flicker of interest flashed through their eyes. Francis walked towards them, his blue eyes turning red and blood red horns and a spiked tail swished behind him. Antonio and Gilbert followed suit, their eyes turning pure black horns forming and tails whipping around.

" **What's this? The Purgatorians can use the flames of Heaven and Hell? How interesting,"** The Demonic Francis grinned, revealing sharpened teeth.

Antonio laughed, **"What a party! Purgtorians that we've encountered aren't as strong as this! Now we get to see what that damn German has been going on about, the bastard always gets the good jobs,"**

Gilbert licked his lips, as if hungry for more. **"Show me what you got!"**

Lovino bared his teeth, revealing his now sharp fangs, the flames bursting to punch them back.

Arthur flew up as Francis jumped to scratch him with his claws. "Why are you doing this?"

He asked, using his flames as a whip, watching as it burned the hand that caught the rope.

" **Purgatory is the only thing that stands in the way between Heaven and Hell,"** Francis replied, releasing the flames and sending his own at Arthur. **"Hell seeks to invade the gates of Heaven, but to do that,"**

The sky had long turned dark. The only thing lighting it up are the myriad of flames, blue and red lighting the sky. **"Purgatory would be ours,"**

Lovino cursed as he dodged the axe in Antonio's hands. "Damn it! So Earth is basically Purgatory?"

" **Haha, close enough, Lovi,"** Antonio ducked from a high kicked and slammed his hand into Lovino's face, leaving behind a burn mark that quickly healed. **"Earth is the territory of both Purgatory and the normal plane. Purgatory born demons and angels are meant to bring world changing things."**

" **Though most Purgatorians also act as the guards of Purgatory, maintaining the borders and thus the distance between Heaven and Hell, the Purgatorian angels work with the demons in pairs, one to bring holy energy and the other to balance it out. You two are the latest pair and the strongest by far,"** Gilbert grinned as he leapt to team up on Arthur, hands aiming for the wings.

"Damn it! They're playing with us!" Lovino growled, opening a hand and making a magic circle, out came chains that leapt for Antonio.

Antonio merely laughed as he moved away from it, the chains bounced back to trap Lovino, causing him to squirm.

Arthur who had been preoccupied by Francis and Gilbert saw what was happening and flew down to Lovino causing Francis to bump into Gilbert. Antonio held his axe to the neck of Lovino.

" **Trust me, I really wanted you to join us, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. No hard feelings, okay Lovi?"** Antonio smiled at Lovino. He swung the axe.

" _No!"_ Arthur yelled, a magic circle forming to shield Lovino, the axe bouncing off the barrier.

Almost by instinct, he began to chant, _"Santara badara winsanada, wompatora tera wintera cantera!"_

" **Shit, he's exorcising us!"** Francis snarled, throwing his knife at Arthur.

Arthur saw this and another barrier formed, his green eyes glowing as he kept the chant, Francis and Gilbert falling to their knees as Antonio dropped the axe and curled into a ball. Lovino saw this as his chance to break free of the chains and his eyes glowed with a hint of red. He joined the chant, his magic circle moving to encase the three demons.

As the sun rose into the sky, the three guys are unconscious, any sign of demonic possession gone.

"Ah, looks like we have to fix the damage," Arthur pointed out, drained from the fight.

"No worries! The hero is here!" Alfred arrived, his blue eyes red with bat like wings on his back. Matthew trailed behind him, white wings coated in blue.

"Ah, Alfred, I'll go talk to them while you clean things up," He said.

"Sure thing, Mattie!" Alfred grinned, giving his twin brother a thumbs-up.

Lovino released the barrier, equally as tired as his boyfriend.

"Hello, I'm Matthew, Alfred's twin brother and his angelic partner. I'm sorry we arrived so late but we were out of the vicinity and as such couldn't sense you two. Anyway, right now, those three should have zero recollection of what happened when they were possessed."

"Ah, chigi, so they were only acting like that because they were possessed huh?" Lovino sighed, moving to hug Arthur. Arthur sighed but allowed Lovino to hug him from behind, mindful of the wings.

"Yep, we'll be explaining the basic work of us Purgatorians to you but I have a feeling that you two already got a basic rundown,"

Arthur nodded his head, "We're supposed to guard Earth and as such, Purgatory from being invaded by Hell who wants to go to Heaven and invade it,"

"That's right!" Alfred came in, "Haha! I didn't expect you to be another pair of us Guardians,"

"Guardians?" Lovino scoffed, "I thought we were called Purgatorians or some shit like that,"

"Ah, well, Guardians are what you call the Purgatorians who are tasked with the job of keeping the borders between Heaven and Hell, some Purgatorians instead guide and innovate alongside humanity," Matthew explained.

Arthur sighed, "I'm too tired for this, fill me in when I wake up,"

Lovino chuckled, turning to kiss him on the lips. "Sleep, I'll fill you in when you wake up,"

Arthur smiled at him and allowed the embrace of darkness to take over.

* * *

He woke up to the room, feeling refreshed and new as ever. He scanned the room for anything, an item, an added charm to the bracelet, however he found none. England stood up and lifted his shirt, glancing to at his back to find angel wings stamped on his back. With a nostalgic smile, he wished his counterpart and the counterpart of Romano well wishes in their new job.

(He wonders how he'll act around the actual person when the time comes. England can't give an answer. He can't imagine running into the person. It's times like this where he wonders how he'll act around them, knowing their deepest selves when in love, when angry, he wonders if he'll seem even stranger when he changes how he acts around them He wonders if time has passed and the others are looking for him. A smile grew on his face, it would be quite shocking for them, wouldn't it? But he can't answer those questions for now, maybe he will someday, when he's managed to crawl himself out of this hole.)

* * *

 **Done! I've been meaning to do this ship for a while now. Ah man, this took so long to write but I'm super happy with how it turned out! I'd like to think Romano and England would have that sort of relationship seeing as they both understand that their words don't always come out with the intended meaning. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	11. Chapter 11: I Feel Pretty?

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **As requested by Sue the Tsundere, a friendship between England and Switzerland where they run into each other at anger management therapy! I hope you enjoy this! (Ps. I am so sorry if this isn't what you wanted but well, I couldn't really ask for details seeing as you're a guest.)**

* * *

Chapter 11: I Feel Pretty…?

* * *

England ate the last of the meat pie. He needed to take a short break. Beside him, the sketchbook lay open, showing the night sky light with flames and silhouettes flying around. The next drawing showed the image of him and Romano looking at each other with the setting sun behind them, the horns and the wings prominent and emphasized.

He gulped back the water and sighed. "Hey, Scones, I've spent way too much time on those, but at least it turned out the way I wanted to,"

He glanced at the violin. "Right I should play it sometime, it would be nice instead of the unnerving silence yes?"

As expected the doll didn't answer, merely gazing at him with its plastic eyes and set features. He reached out to pet it. The bracelet shining in the light, catching his eyes for a second the maple leaf and the feather making him wonder about what the next item will. He glanced at the poster. Well he might as well enjoy another one, make more memories and such. He can't stay stuck inside for too long.

With that in mind, he strode toward the poster purposefully. How interesting, apparently he meets a person who is taking anger management therapy. Seems simple and straight forward, so why does he have a feeling he'll be going through plenty of stress? England shrugged and pushed through.

* * *

This time he fell in a waiting room. He's wearing his earring and he can feel the weight of both the necklace and the bracelet on him though they're covered up. A quick peak in his long sleeves made him realize that his tattoos are there too. He can bet that the angel wing tattoo is there on his back too. He knows he doesn't have his magic here which while saddening, isn't that much of a stretch considering his job. England reached into his pocket and cracked open the notebook.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 24_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Occupation: Journalist/Author_

 _Backstory: A journalist with a sketchy past, he bears the reminders of what he was as a teenager. As a poor child under a broken home, he used to be part of a gang in order to bring in money. However thanks to an English teacher who inspired him, he now does articles and spreads awareness on various topics such as anxiety or stress. He has also written a book on his experiences titled, 'In the Eyes of an Outlier.'_

 _Note: Arthur tries to separate himself from his past by being polite and acting gentlemanly.'_

So he's meant to have his tattoos and jewellery here, with a different meaning. Well, that's something at least. He checked his watch, not knowing what he's supposed to be doing. As a journalist, he's obviously here for _something_. But it could also be a personal thing.

As he checked his bag for a planner, a man rushed past him, his face set in a frown and his shoulder length blond hair fluttered behind him. Arthur pulled out the planner and moved to open it. The man bumped into Arthur and he turned around to scowl at him, green eyes narrowed at him angrily. Out of surprise, Arthur dropped the planner, the little blue notebook lying face down on the floor.

"Watch where you're going," He said sternly, turning around to rush for what can presumably be his appointment. His boots stepped over the planner, leaving it with foots prints all over it.

Arthur sighed. He bent down to pick up the note book, mumbling to himself, "There's the person with anger management therapy." That person… His eyes widened, that was Switzerland's counterpart!

He held a hand over his mouth. Supressing a grin, Arthur couldn't help but snort. The man's getting anger management therapy! His mind summoned the image of Switzerland. The man does need to learn a few calming tricks considering how adamant about neutrality and how willing he is to use a gun when angry. His younger sister, Liechtenstein, is the only one he knows Switzerland won't shoot.

He flipped open his planner to see a date encircled along with the words, _'Research on anger and anger management. Talk to Kiku Honda*'_

Arthur flipped through it to follow the asterisk he most likely placed there for a more detailed account. _'Talk to Kiku Honda on questions such as portraying anger and healthy anger management in media as well as books for reference on anger.'_

He must be writing an article on anger issues and anger management then. Oh, there's a list of questions. Good on him then, no need to worry about what to ask. With that in mind he walked to the receptionist and talked with them. The receptionist was apparently Taiwan's counterpart, smiling as she spoke to him about the fact that Mr Honda will be available after his current session with one of his patients.

"Alright, I'll be waiting then," He replied, "Have a nice day,"

He sat down and began to go through whatever notes he has in his back, finding a pen in there as well as his valuables. He scanned through another notebook, a dark green one with a simplistic silver vine design around it. Arthur flipped through it finding doodles and poems written by him to kill time. Flipping through the pages he's also found notes from interviews and such which were obviously for articles.

The Switzerland counterpart walked passed him, not even looking at where he sat, instead marching for the door in a calmer and much more sedate pace than when he had bumped into him. Arthur took that as his cue to approach Kiku- Mr Honda, Arthur reminded himself, this isn't the emperor on the moon he's meeting with but an anger management therapist.

There he found Mr Honda walking to meet up with him and the world faded to black.

* * *

The world came back into view with him sitting in a library with a laptop open in front of him and notebooks on his side, open with research notes. However, he knew he needed to get a book from here seeing as it said _'Look in the self-help section.'_

With a sigh, he walked there, glancing and scanning titles, he found one that piqued his interest. He reached out to grab it only for another hand to reach out as well. He turned to look to see who it is and found himself staring face to face with Switzerland's counterpart.

"Oh, it's you," He muttered, his green eyes boring into him. "I would like to apologize for my actions earlier this day,"

Arthur smiled at him pleasantly, "Oh, it's no worries, it's understandable considering the fact I _was_ standing in the middle of the hallway."

The man pulled out the book they reached for, "Here, as an apology, you can borrow the book first,"

"Ah," Arthur waved, "Please, you borrow it, I can get it later,"

The man scowled, "Just take the damn book, you don't have to be so polite,"

"Well," Arthur said through gritted teeth, while maintaining his smile, "I don't need to get it immediately, and you probably are in more need of it than I, so take it,"

He glared at him, "Take. The. Book."

Arthur leaned in close, "How. About. You. Take. It?"

The two were locked in a staring contest, the book between them, Switzerland's counterpart holding onto it tightly on one end while his own hands were on the other end.

Arthur bit his lip. His eyes darted downward to the tattooed flowers peeking out from his sleeves, reminding him off the play with Francis. Ah, he should probably step down before things escalate to a physical fight. He looked at the Switzerland counterpart in the eyes, waiting for any sign of wavering.

Instead all he saw are focused eyes that lit up with determination. He sighed. "How about we compromise? You can sit with me and we share the book?"

He watched the man debate about this internally before he loosened the tension and nodded his head. "Alright, I can do that,"

Arthur headed to the table, trusting the man to follow him.

He sat down and offered the seat beside him. "Oh, uh, I just realized I haven't got your name,"

The man set down the book, glancing at him and scanning him before finally speaking, "Vash Zwingli,"

"Nice to meet you, Vash, I'm Arthur Kirkland." He stretched out a hand.

Vash reached to shake his hand, "Ah, nice to meet you,"

"Shall we start?" He replied.

They used the book together, read chapters and in Arthur's case, making notes.

"Hey, back when I first bumped into you…Why were you there? You obviously don't have any sort of…problems," Vash began unsure how to start a conversation.

Arthur hummed as he moved to turn the page. "I had an appointment for an interview,"

Vash scanned the page current page, "I see, so you're a journalist huh?"

"Yes, I am. What do you do?" He asked, writing something down.

"Ah…I used to an army sniper, now I-I I'm simply,"

"You don't have to go on if it makes you uncomfortable," Arthur cut in, sensing how uncomfortable he is.

Vash nodded his head, checking the time he stood up. "Ah, I'll have to go now,"

Arthur bit his lip before writing down his phone number and ripping the paper out. "Here, if you ever need anything, then don't be afraid to call me okay?"

Vash stared at the paper before taking it with a nod. "Ah, I'll keep that in mind,"

The world faded to black and Arthur took a deep breath. For a moment he wonders how this will go. He hasn't interacted much with Vash. (England wonders how Switzerland is doing with his younger sister. England and Switzerland has been close, he made sure Switzerland maintained his neutrality and he hoped to be as helpful to his friend as he will be to his counterpart.)

* * *

The world came back to the library, this time he has a laptop with him and Vash walks in holding another book.

They stayed like that. Silent and comfortable as they did their respective work, Vash would sometimes speak and Arthur would listen but that was much it. Vash had yet to call him but he's fine with that, he knows personally how stubborn the man can be.

Soon their short talks became about each other and their interests, Vash speaking about his younger sister and Arthur talking about the tattoos on his arms. Arthur learnt that Vash lived with his younger sister due to the fact they are orphans and Vash was getting better with his anger issues. Soon Vash didn't need to go there. Vash sighed, unsure what to do now that he's fully recovered, he has to do something to be able to support him and Lili.

He glanced at the phone, where he knew Arthur's number is in. With a gulp, he picked up the phone and called.

"Hello?" Arthur asked, as he picked up the phone.

"Ah, it's me, Vash,"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it's great of you to call me,"

Vash cleared his throat and sighed, beginning the conversation of asking for help. He explained his situation and Arthur listened patiently, before he spoke, "Hmm, you did mention that you wanted to teach someday, the amount of things to take into account when you were a sniper meant you had to know your physics right?"

"Maybe P.E or Math?" Vash asked, loosening up as he recalled that idea that seemed so far away. It was something he once thought of as a child before getting into the army. He never thought that perhaps he could actually pursue that thought and dream.

"Hmm, it's up to you, what subject can you take talking about?" Arthur asked.

Vash replied with a thoughtful tone, "P.E sounds like less of a hassle, but physics would be my best bet,"

"Well, now you know what you could be doing what are you waiting for?" Arthur asked.

Vash paused, "…I- Thank you, Arthur. How about I introduce you to Lili sometime? She's been curious about 'Big brother's new friend',"

Arthur chuckled, "That would be nice. I've heard a lot about Lili. I'll help you job hunt for teaching jobs but you know, there's never enough,"

"Right," Vash said, his tone giving away his amusement, "Bye,"

The phone clicked and the world faded to the room, the bracelet adding another charm, this time in the form of a target circle, the four lines pointing into the middle of the circle, a small reminder of his friendship with Vash.

* * *

England smiled, short lived as it is, it was a nice and simple friendship. It reminded him of his own friendship with Switzerland, they used to be close but now they're not as close as they once were. That friendship made him aware of this. Maybe once he gets back he can renew their friendship again?

(It puts a perspective on how much he never really knew his fellow countries and how much he wonders if it will change. The plays remind him so much of their counterparts, he has to wonder about them. Will he change his demeanour? Will he start trying to know them like he knew their counterparts in here? In a way, he is lonely. He's not a country and this room is both a blessing and a curse because it makes him acutely aware of how much he actually cares about the outside world and his fellow nations.)

* * *

 **Ah! That took a long while! Sue the Tsundere, I hope this fits what you were requesting, I had quite the hard time with this seeing as Switzerland is such a hermit in the anime. (Thank goodness history says otherwise between these two or I would've been stuck forever!) I was pretty stuck on this one and I didn't know what to do for them to actually be friends, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **To Amanda, (if you actually are still reading this fic :P): Do you want it to be a romantic sort of office drama boss x employee situation or a close friendship? Please tell me so I'm sure to write what sort of relationship beyond the boss-employee part!**

 **(On a side note, the title was a joke on the song that the movie Anger Management played at the end since my dad likes to sing it a lot.) Anyway, I hope you all have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	12. Chapter 12: Hey, Mr Boss!

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **As requested by Amanda, a romantic boss-employee relationship! I hope you enjoy this, Amanda!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Hey, Mr Boss!

* * *

England can't help but smile in satisfaction at his latest drawing.

There on the pages are the glaring eyes of Vash glaring at the viewer, green eyes shining sternly as he looked on with determination. He added the little target symbol that was added to his bracelet, as a way to differentiate between Vash and Switzerland, drawing it in the background making it look as if Vash was being targeted. He added his signature before closing it.

"That was a surprisingly short play, huh Scones?" England mused as he glanced at the plush.

It didn't answer back but he wasn't expecting any.

"I should go to the next one, the faster I get through the quicker I get to see everyone else, right?" He stood up, patting the doll on the head and glancing at the violin sitting on the other side of the bed. "But first, I should clean up,"

With the wave of a hand, he watched as the violin floated up to the case and kept itself. England smiled at this. He hadn't been able to practice his magic much from the last play. Hopefully the next one will have some magic. He approached the poster and read it with an amused smile. It looks like his hopes weren't up for nothing.

He's the secretary of one of the world's top businessmen this time, in a world where everyone has one special superpower of sorts. It doesn't mention much other than adding the fact that his family having been working closely with the business man's for as long as the 1380's! How interesting, the business man's family must have been an ancient family with his own family working as knights. How fun.

With a grin, he pushed into the poster and fell.

* * *

The world around him is a bright blur, colours from pink to blue to purple blurring together into a haze. The winds brought with it the scent of paint and pine wood. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, entirely at ease as he landed in an apartment.

Green eyes opened to see a familiar apartment. He scanned the room and found a canvas with a brightly coloured bird beside the door. He sat up, realizing he's in pyjamas he got up to change. White long sleeved button ups, black ties, black slacks and leather shoes, outfit complete, he reached for the notebook on top of the shelf beside his cabinet.

He flipped through it, wondering what sort of role he has.

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 24_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Occupation: Secretary of Jo_ _ã_ _o Henrique Lisboa (CEO of Port Corportation, a well-known trading company)_

 _Backstory: The son of a family that is closely tied to his boss' family, he inherited his father's ability to make any piece of art come to life be it a sketch, an origami, a statue or even a painting on a canvas. He has a crush on his boss ever since high school, seeing as they were childhood friends in order to have the best working relationship in the grand scheme of things. He is noted for being multilingual._

 _Note: Arthur is also trained as if he was a bodyguard due to the fact the two of them are interconnected that if none of the bodyguards are able to stop a criminal, he can due to his job. (It is also because of the fact he plays an important role as he knows plenty of information on the company and is incredibly close to his boss. In fact, he is close enough to be considered for kidnapping.) The only one who knows this is Jo_ _ã_ _o.'_

Hmm, bodyguard secretary, what an interesting occupation his counterpart has. Arthur kept the notebook and took the bag already set up with him. He stepped towards the painting, allowing the body to take over and go through the motions. His hand reached out for the bird and in came out of the canvas, the size of a little canary. He held the tiny bird and exited his apartment before setting it down on the railing. Before his eyes, the bird hopped off the rail and kept flapping its wings, growing larger and larger until its big enough for him to fly on.

Interesting, Arthur thought as he climbed onto the back of the bird. The bird set off, heading to what is undoubtedly the office building. The building is marked with the words 'PORT' in capital letters and the wheel of a ship as the company's symbol beside it. The bird landed in front of the building, he hopped off the bird. The bird tweeted as it shrunk down into its original size, hoping up to his shoulder.

"Good morning, Arthur," Francis greeted.

He nodded his head at him. "Morning,"

"Boss is in his office, like usual," Alfred walked in, "Mornin' Art,"

Arthur snorted, walking passed them, "Good morning, Alfred."

"Haha," The sunlight through the window moved to his eyes, "Rise and shine, Art!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. Figures that Alfred would have the ability to bend light around, he's like a ray of sunshine after all. He headed to his desk close to the office of his boss. He opened his schedule to check it.

"Good morning Arthur!" João greeted, a happy grin plastered on his face. Arthur blinked. Oh his boss is Portugal's counterpart. Interesting, he had missed seeing Portugal. The man wasn't able to attend the meeting for some reason. Still, João in a suit, it's nce to see Portugal-or a version of him- in a suit. The man is quite handsome and he appreciates the fact that the suit does well on that.

Arthur smiled at João. "Good morning, Boss!"

João sighed, "How many times do I have to tell you to call me João when we're the only ones here?"

"Right," Arthur chuckled, "Then, Good morning, _Jo_ _ã_ _o_ ,"

He nodded his head, "That's much better," He reached pat him on the shoulder.

Arthur blushed as he watched João walk away. His eyes trailing after going from the shoulders going downwards to the back and then to the…

"Hey, focus Art," Alfred snickered as he passed by Arthur, carrying a package with him.

Arthur scowled at him, "Oh screw off, Alfred,"

"Anyway, I got a package for the boss it's pretty urgent so be sure he gets it. Here you go," Alfred placed the package there, nodding at him as Arthur began to do his job.

Arthur sighed as he began to do his job. Calls, emails, checking his to-do list, he found on a clipboard (which is surprisingly detailed, with his schedule and his boss' schedule on there as well) and then alerting his boss of a meeting he has at eight thirty.

"Boss, you have a meeting in fifteen minutes," Arthur alerted.

He nodded his head, "Right, thank you Arthur,"

The moment he exited the room, the world flickered to a different setting, him walking through the meeting room. His to-do list tucked under his arm, with a small sticky note that said _'Set up the meeting room'_. He glanced at his clock, surprised by the fact it wasn't the eight thirty meeting but a meeting set before lunch.

João entered the room, watching fondly as Arthur and the colourful bird fixed up the meeting room. He cleared his throat and Arthur flushed in response. He turned around to see João walking towards him.

"Calm down Arthur, why are you so stressed?" João moved closer to him until he's a breath away. Arthur gazed into his sincere olive green eyes.

"This is a meeting with another big company…" Arthur mumbled watching as João moved to lean down on him, he backed away leaning into the table he was fixing. João used this to lean forward, his hands landing on each side of him as João looked him in the eyes.

He mumbled softly, "Arthur, relax. You'll be fine."

"I," Arthur flushed glancing away. "Fine… I'll relax."

João smiled to himself in satisfaction.

"But!" Arthur continued, "You take this seriously. Remember, this isn't school anymore and you can't use this as a chance to get back at him."

"Anything for you, Arthur," He replied, leaning back and allowing Arthur to straighten up.

Arthur fixed his shirt and looked at João in the eyes. The man looked at him and flushed, clearing his throat. Arthur bit his lip, "So, uh, yeah,"

"Oh uhm," He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Arthur made a gesture to leave, "I should you know, get going,"

"Right, uhm," João stepped back to let him leave and Arthur stepped forward face to face with João, face flushed. He opened his mouth to speak only for Francis to enter the room.

"They'll be here in about-" Francis stopped as he took in the sight of the two of them. "Oh."

Arthur's heart is racing, he turned to see Francis looking at them with renewed understanding, "I-I swear, Francis-"

Francis smiled while João looked to the side to hide his red face. "Don't worry I understand. By the way, they'll be here in ten minutes so be sure to clean up."

Arthur sighed, "Right, the meeting,"

"You didn't actually forget did you?" João teased, as he took a seat.

Arthur huffed, "I didn't. Now, I'll get the paper ready for the notes,"

As Arthur turned around to get the paper, João couldn't help but stare at his retreating back longingly, the wind blowing gently through Arthur, in a physical manifestation of his longing. Francis sighed as he watched Arthur go about his job. A pink string tied to his pinkie finger, extending and now Francis knew, where the other end is. The person on the other end of that string is their boss.

Not many people know that Francis' ability is to see when two people are attracted to each other. The colour of the string depicts the type of emotion. Red meant that it is a solid relationship. They are in love and together. Pink means that they like each other mutually but are unaware of it. However, if it is an unrequited love then it is orange. He knows it is obviously not the case with both the boss and his personal assistant.

The moment Arthur fixed up, knowing it's already time for the meeting. He stands behind his boss, eying up their rival. That rival happened to be Antonio, with Lovino in tow, holding a clipboard and a black tail with a spike whipping behind him, the tip lit on fire. The bird on Arthur's shoulder chirped.

The bosses greeted each other and they sat down. The two of them took notes on the meeting, staying silent and not speaking at all. All the while the tension in the room made Arthur want to shudder. However, he knew that this would not be the case as he knew how to deal with a serious Spain.

The best way to deal with the counterpart is to act cold and be smart about it.

The meeting ended with them shaking hands and smiling at each other and with the two of them being escorted out by Francis.

"Phew! Did you get all that, Arthur?" João sighed in relief, back to his laid-back self.

Arthur nodded his head, "Each and every last detail, João,"

He moved closer to Arthur. "I told you it's going to be alright,"

Arthur flushed, "You were right, I'll admit that. Still, I can't help but feel worried for you,"

He laughed, "No need to worry for me, Arthur!"

"I can see that," Arthur huffed, checking his to-do list before heading off to do his job, the bird tweeting behind him.

Arthur sat down, folding paper planes and having them all fly off to their specific destinations, he's alerting all the divisions of their job and he glanced at the package. Right, he should forward that to his boss, thought the box said that it's only to be given during the boss' birthday. Curious but that's alright.

It's at this moment that Francis came by, with a smile on his face. " _Hello, Arthur,"_ he purred.

Arthur scowled, "What is it?"

"Well, I've noticed you and the _boss-_ " "It's not _like that_ okay?" Arthur snarled.

Francis sighed. "I _know_ , Arthur. Why do you think I'm here?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur leaned forward.

Francis looked around before whispering to him "I can help you with that."

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Francis grinned, "There's a party to celebrate the boss' birthday tomorrow at lunch, all I need you to do is be there with the boss and the rest will be taken care off,"

Arthur bit his lip. "Fine, I'll be there tomorrow, not like I won't be there."

"Ah, I'm just making sure you won't be hiding when you do." Francis chuckled, waving him good bye, "See you, Arthur!"

The moment he's left alone he smiled to himself. How interesting, it's nice to see that Francis also has France's affinity for matchmaking. As he made a few origami cranes to send to the boss, the world faded once more.

* * *

Arthur hummed, "Offices, not really my type of style but at least it give me a good excuse to wear a suit every day."

The world came into view during lunch time. The office decorated with a banner that says, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOSS'. Arthur stood there with the package on the table as well as his own. When João entered, Francis looked at him and winked.

"Happy birthday!" They all greeted.

"Haha," João rubbed the back of his head, "Thank you so much!"

As they merrily laughed and ate some cake that was being passed around, the windows broke. Arthur was on it immediately, tapping the art works he noticed were on Francis' desk, lions and foxes coming to life. He knew that the art that came to life would do their job with a single task in mind, _protect_.

He tapped on a martial arts figurine on another desk and then ran to follow the breaking of the glass. As he did so, he noticed that João's missing.

He cursed as he weaved around desks and tables. Running through the corridors with the bird on his shoulder growing to the size of a hawk, flying beside him until the two of them reached the roof top, where a helipad is stationed.

The bird cawed into the open sky and he swivelled around to search for their unwanted guest. A hand clamped over his mouth and dragged him to the edge of the building, the bird cawed and he stiffened at the voice as the hand became visible.

"Struggle and I'll toss you off the building," Arthur shuddered, that's the voice of Gilbert.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched Alfred and Francis run up the roof, João leading them stationed at the front.

"Arthur!" João yelled as he realized the situation.

"Kesesesesese!" Gilbert laughed, Arthur narrowed his eyes when he heard his captor take out something. He knew it was a gun when Gilbert pressed it at his head, the cold biting into his skin. "I'll free him if you listen to my demands!"

João moved to get closer only for Gilbert to shoot at the ground close to him and edge backwards even more. "Stay where you are or his brains go boom!" The gun went back to its position on his head.

João lifted up his arms, Francis following suit while Alfred glanced around, his own hands in the air. "Good! Now, I'll let him go if you give me 10 million-in cash!"

Arthur knew it's too instable for him to free himself, at this height. Gilbert would fall off and might shoot him anyway. He glanced at the skies, his colourful bird circling over them like a vulture. An idea sparked through him and he began signing his idea in short and disjointed words, João saw this and knew what he had to do.

The wind began to swirl shoving Gilbert to the front, Alfred took this as his chance to blind Gilbert, bending the light directly to his eyes causing the man to stumble forward. Arthur took this as his chance to free himself. He kicked Gilbert and bend forward to flip him over on the front, his bird swooping down to take the gun. Arthur then grabbed the man's arm and bent it behind him, keeping Gilbert on his stomach and his hands incapacitated.

"Arthur!" João yelled as one of the knight figures came in to join them, taking over Arthur's place. The knight merely kept Gilbert down while Francis took out some duct tape and taped his arms together.

João cradled him against his chest, holding him tightly. It's at this moment that Alfred grinned and did a thumbs up at Francis before crashing into them, pushing them on the floor and forcing João to straddle Arthur.

Arthur smiled, "Are you okay, João?"

João blinked in surprise before smiling back. "I am, and you?"

Arthur wrapped his arms around João's neck, leaning closer till he can feel the man's breath on his lips. "Never been better,"

João glanced down at his lips before looking into Arthur's eyes, "May I…?"

"Please,"

João leaned down to kiss him, starting off hesitant until Arthur pushed back, the two of them moving together as it became more passionate. They manoeuvred themselves to be sitting up right with Arthur sitting on his lap.

Francis smiled as he watched the thread become red. Such a cute couple, though this isn't how he intended for them to become one.

Arthur grinned, slightly out of breath as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I…Arthur, I love you," João confessed underneath his breath, they stayed like that for a moment until Alfred cleared his throat.

"Uhm, the authorities should be here any moment now, so I suggest you two fix yourselves," He pointed out.

They stood up, faces equally flushed, as João reached out to intertwine their hands together. Reassuring himself and Arthur over what had happened.

Arthur smiled at João and the world faded once more into the room. His hands still warm with the feeling of João's hands in his.

* * *

There on his bed sat a small wooden carving of the bird, its feathers and colours all there, in its pastel glory.

England smiled and placed the bird on top of the shelf, next to the violin. What a play that was! He flopped onto his bed, mind still whirling from his encounter. It was short and sweet in many ways. Much like the bird, he thought, it is beautiful and brilliant yet fast. He wonders what the next one will be, as the poster rippled and changed the text.

(He misses them all so much but he'll be alright until then. He can handle this, much like how he handled watching humans grow old and die, time passing by in the blink of an eye. England's only way to keep himself steady is to remind himself that he'll see them all soon, he'll see them all and laugh and grin and this place will only be like a fanciful dream. England knows that he'll enjoy them and have a blast if only to stop himself from focusing on the pangs of sorrow and the feeling of missing the people he truly knows.)

* * *

 **Here you go Amanda! I hope you had fun reading this this! It was so fun to write! This chapter was pretty wild huh? I realized I didn't include Macau here even though Portugal and Macau have a pretty strong history and have interacted in canon. The package was a bomb but the authorities quickly took care of that. Poor Gilbert though, I keep picking on him as a bad guy. Haha, sorry Gil! Anyway, I hope you all had fun reading this and have a great day! (Or night!)**


	13. Chapter 13: Honour and Glory!

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

* * *

Chapter 13: Honour and Glory!

* * *

England drank the last of his tea, setting the cup down with a _clink_. His mind wandered to the last play. That one was oddly interesting; what with the little bird that now sat on top of the shelf. His eyes trailed over to the bird, its bright colours standing out against the white walls of the room. The room has no windows or doors but the items, a few bare furniture and the items that keeps popping up as a reminder of the last play he's been in.

The one thing he noticed was how many times he's met Francis, then again it goes to show how close he is to France and how complicated his relationship is as shown by the fact Francis can be either benevolent or malevolent. A frown tugged on his face. Hopefully he won't be left almost ready to hurt anyone of the countries regardless of history. He closed his eyes. Hopefully he'll get to actually _see_ them soon.

Faces flashed by, Francis, Alfred, Antonio, Vash, Ivan, Yao, all such familiar and yet such different people. One thing he's eternally grateful for is the fact they don't appear in the usual outfits the countries appear in. England opened his eyes to stare at the ring on his finger. The message inscribed in it a reminder along with the feather charm on his bracelet. Come to think of it, he hasn't taken a closer look at the bracelet beyond their design.

He reached for the feather, admiring the detail on it. No inscription, nothing, England's not sure whether or not he's grateful for this fact. He settled on being grateful, he'd rather not be reminded of his failure to completely save Antonio from the punishment for falling in love with him. His mind flashing back to the searing pain, it felt like his veins was on fire and the specific branding on his skin was being scorched on. Almost like when he had been under the Great Fire, now that he thought of it.

He shuddered as his mind leapt to the breaking of his horns. The pain had seared itself into his mind. He can't describe it perfectly. His mind had gone blank from sheer pain. He couldn't see anything but white. He's breathing heavily, the pain tingling beneath his skin. He can feel it. The pain crawling underneath his skin, he scratched at it as hard as he could but the itch remained.

England is aware of the tears streaming down his face and the raw, red welts on his arms as a result of his scratching. He's shaking and curling into himself now. Already he can see the anguished face of Antonio screaming _'No!'_ and the carefully blank features of Francis. He can see the horrible expression of _regret_ on Lovino.

He's not aware of his breathing getting heavier and heavier until he's practically hyperventilating. He's not aware of the tears streaming down his face or the scratches on his arms beginning to bleed. All he can remember- all he can see- are the faces of Lovino and Antonio, and Francis and Gilbert and Ludwig as he is held down and practically tortured. He can hear it in his mind like a taunting echo. His own screams, his own pain, the feeling of being burned in every vein. He can feel it as if it was happening all over again.

England screamed.

That scream brought him out of- whatever happened. He looked down to his arms and realized that it is bleeding. The red standing out from his pale skin, he took a deep breath began to collect himself.

He isn't there anymore. He isn't suffering anymore. That play has passed by. He's not there. He continued to breathe in and out, counting his breaths like sheep.

 _One,_ His eyes focused on the bird, gazing at the bright colours to remind himself that he's alright now.

 _Two_ , he's in the room. He's not there and he's not going to be hurt anymore.

 _Three,_ England licked his lips. He's alright. He watched as his wounds closed. Healing easily, as if it was never there in the first place, England smiled wanly.

He checked on the tea cup only to find it gone. He sighed. "Perhaps, Scones, I should simply move on to the next play? I've already finished the drawing from the last play."

And indeed he has, the sketchbook now boasts of a new drawing, the image of the pastel coloured bird flying around while João smiled at him with his green eyes shining with playful mirth. The lax smile on his face makes his character shine through the pages.

With a sigh of exhaustion, he approached the poster with slight trepidation. He won't end up hurt again, he told himself. He read it while biting his lip. _'Word had arrived that the governor had been assassinated, Tempers run high at the palace and the guards weren't getting enough sleep.'_

England stretched out a hand. He pushed the poster and watched it ripple until he fell through.

* * *

The world blurred but all he can think of as he fell was the fresh scent of bluebells. He can't help but relax at the familiar scent. The woods have always been a sense of comfort for him when he was a child. When he was fighting as a child or was having a bad day, he would go to there and play in the bluebells, talking with his magical friends.

He landed on a lavish bed with red and gold adorning it, the design medieval. Stone walls with unlit candles and a window outside, revealing the bluebells woods that surrounded the no doubt castle. He looked at himself, dressed in his magic clothing, his cape made of silk, his clothes as fine as any court royal and his hair still cut short. He found his jewellery and tattoos on him, the blue and red flowers as bright as ever.

He touched the ring for a moment before touching the moon stone necklace. It's out in the open, along with his earring. In the corner of his eye he spotted the notebook. He grabbed it and opened it to find his latest role.

' _Name: Arthur vi Kirkland_

 _Age: 19 years old_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Occupation: Court Magician_

 _Backstory: A village boy who showed talent in magic is picked to become the next Court Magician. He's shown to be a prodigy in magic and is supposed to be married politically to the recently deceased governor Alfred. He is hoping climb the ranks to becoming the Royal Magician to secure himself a good life in order to ensure the court will make better decisions. He is kind and thoughtful of the living beings around him and as such is seen as 'gentle' and 'womanly' for his affinity with nature. His tattoos are a manifestation of his strong emotional bonds as well as a good place for extra magic reserves. His jewellery is more a magic focus and a show of wealth than anything else._

 _Note: Arthur is known by the guards for his kindness. He often gives them water and makes sure they aren't overworked. His guard, Francis allows him to do this freely.'_

Well, at least he knows he has his magic here. What duties dos he have though? Ah well, he can always ask Francis. The guard should know his schedule. Satisfied with this, Arthur got out of bed and stretched. With the death of his political fiancé Arthur knew the Court would be in disarray.

But _how_ disarray will be determined by how important Alfred was.

When he walked outside his guard greeted him. "Sir Arthur," Francis smiled wearing his armour, "Your schedule has been cleared today. The entire court is in disarray and their tempers have come boiling,"

"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, "What must I do for the day then?"

Francis gave him a weak smile. "Whatever it is that you must do, you have been assigned the task of figuring out who had targeted Lord Alfred and why,"

"I see. I'll work on that in the afternoon, after we have lunch," Arthur commanded, walking through the corridors and glancing at the guards. He can tell the castle is saturated in magic, his own and the others.

Francis nodded his head, "Understood, Sir Arthur,"

"Oh and Sir Francis?" He paused. "How is everyone? I hope they are doing well?"

Francis sighed, "The guard of the fallen Governor lately hasn't been able to sleep and the people are accusing him of being the one to assassinate him."

Arthur blinked, an image of Gilbert flashed through his mind, wearing similar armour to Francis. Oh, Alfred's guard was Gilbert and seeing as the man is Prussia's counterpart, he is under much suspicion for being an albino and left-handed. He pursed his lips. He has to do something. He has a gut feeling that the man is innocent.

"Sir Francis, please bring me to him," Arthur commanded.

Francis bowed slightly, "As you command. I must warn you, Sir Gilbert is currently in a prison cell,"

Arthur grimaced but nodded. Knowing the rest of the Court Magicians, they'll be delighted in the removal of the man, increase their prestige if they go along with whatever opinion is popular. The two of them moved downward, going down the stairs and passing by many Court Officials and their haggard looking guards.

Soon enough, they reached the holding cell of Gilbert, the scent of decay, rot and rats caused Arthur to wrinkle his nose. Coupled with the dark and horrid sight of the dingy and filthy place made him scowl, already he can see mildew on the walls and what appears to be a bloodstain splattered in an empty one. They found Gilbert huddled up and shivering, wearing nothing but brown, mud stained rags that dare call themselves clothes.

"What do you want?" Gilbert grouched, not bothering to look at his visitor.

Arthur knelt down, his magic pulsing to do a diagnostic of Gilbert's current state. "I'm here to help you," He said gently.

Green eyes glowed in the dark as his magic did its thing. Gilbert flinched at the feeling of magic over him, waiting for any sort of hostile movement. He's been starved and left with barely any water, Arthur noted, possibly thinks he's being delusional in such a dark and dingy cell.

Gilbert turned to see his guest and when he realized it was Arthur his face lit up with joy. Arthur smiled back while Francis gave a small smile. "It's alright, Sir Gilbert. I know you're innocent and that you'd never do that to Lord Alfred. You were best friends after all."

"Please, help me," Gilbert pleaded, his red-purple eyes glowing with hope.

"I will, I'll get you out of your cage and then use my magic to prove your innocence." Arthur promised.

Gilbert looked at him with so much hope it hurts. His eyes that were previously lifeless and drained lit up and his tone changed from weary to pleading. His face is stretched out in a smile so wide Arthur can't help but smile back.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I don't know how to repay you for this," Gilbert's eyes were shining with tears.

Arthur stretched out a hand, pulling at his magic to give him an apple he had stored in his magic space. "There's no need. Your happiness is simply enough for me,"

Gilbert sobbed as he saw the apple pass through the bars of the cell. He reached out his hands, filthy from clawing at dirt and soil. Arthur brought in another arm and with a wave of his hand, summoned water in a large drop. Gently, he pulled back his arm but kept the water in there, allowing Gilbert to wash his hands and face. The drop grew brow from the dirt and mud and Arthur banished it. He summoned another drop and watched as Gilbert took out the water he had been given to clean it up and fill it to the brim.

The albino ate as much as he could and drank his fill like it was a feast fit for a king. Francis averted his eyes, his expression sad at the sight of a once great knight forced to act a pauper. Arthur didn't look at him in pity but instead hardened his resolve. "I'll get going, I'll make this the fast, I promise."

"I know you will. Stay safe, Sir Arthur. Sir Francis, make sure he won't be so much as scratched," The man's voice is less gravely now that he's had water.

Francis nodded his head, "You can count on me…Sir Gilbert,"

The two of them exited the prison cells. Arthur confidently striding to the Court room where arguments can be heard, the door opened, revealing him and Francis.

"Ah, Sir Arthur, please-" He raised his hand, his eyes pinning down to see Aaron in magician's clothes.

The king, Germany's counterpart, sighed. "I see you have arrived with something, Sir Arthur, please say your piece. You only have eight minutes to speak up." He glared at the rest of the Court. "The rest of you better be silent or _else_."

He gestured for Arthur to speak and speak he did.

"King Ludwig, I wish to prove that Sir Gilbert, the accused for the assassination of Lord Alfred, is innocent." He announced.

The court gasped. "But-" Austria's counterpart began. Ludwig raised a hand. "Let him speak, Lord Roderich,"

Roderich scowled but held his tongue.

Arthur cleared his throat, "I can prove to you right here and right now that he has nothing to do with the assassination of Lord Alfred,"

"And how do you propose to do that?" Ludwig leaned forward curiously.

"With magic," Arthur smiled, "I will have my magic portray what he was doing during the time of the crime. This will not only give us a chance to see who might have actually killed Lord Alfred but also clear the name of Sir Gilbert."

Ludwig hummed. "Will that be all?"

Arthur bowed, "Yes, your majesty."

"Are there any objections to this?" He called out, blue eyes scanning the Court.

Roderich relaxed. "No objections, your majesty."

Ludwig nodded his head. "May the trial of Sir Gilbert begin, Sir Vash bring in the suspect."

They waited there, Vash bringing in Gilbert who glanced around the room with narrow eyes. His eyes landed on Ludwig and brought a spark of hope in there as he saw Arthur standing there.

"Set him in the middle," Arthur ordered, allowing Vash to set him down on his knees his head bowed in front of Ludwig and the rest of the court.

Arthur moved to Gilbert and said, "I shall use my magic to show them what you remember at the time of the assassination. Is that alright?"

Roderich watched his reaction like a hawk waiting for dinner. Gilbert nodded his head. "I am at your mercy, Sir Arthur."

Arthur made a circle. The green glow then attached itself to Gilbert's forehead and projected what had happened through another circle.

 _It showed Gilbert standing guard in front of Alfred's room in the night. The sound of the rain like a steady drum as the bright candles flickered and the shadows danced. The man stood vigilantly, his red eyes roaming the halls and glancing around up and down for any sort of disturbance. Then the candles blew out._

 _"Hey!" He yelled. His sword up and steady, he glanced around, scanning the area._

 _A figure, taller than him and from what he could see, with glowing purple eyes looked down at him. A scarf covered his face, the lightning flashing to give Gilbert some sort of lighting._

 _The figure brought out a staff with an odd curve at the top, when it came down, Gilbert raised his sword to parry. They fought in the halls, the sword flashing as the lightning provided periodic light. Thunder boomed and echoed while the wind screamed like a sick prediction of what was to come._

 _Gilbert scowled, but kept silent with the occasional grunt. Eyes darting around to find the intruder when something hit the back of his neck and he was knocked out._

 _The moment he came too, he got up immediately and opened the door to find Alfred with his throat slit. Gilbert rushed towards the corpse, checking to see how long he's been dead and to search for some clues. The only thing he found was a knife with the blood dripping on it. Gilbert grabbed it to examine it only for the guards to come in. He panicked and tried to explain, tears in his eyes._

 _Then it ended with him being detained by the guards._

"As you can see, that was a false accusation and Sir Gilbert here is innocent!" Arthur announced.

The Court exploded into a cacophony of noise and argument.

"That is-"

"-Impossible-"

"-Must be made up!"

"-Accomplice-"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Ludwig yelled slamming his hands on the table.

The room fell quiet almost immediately. They know when they are almost out of line.

"As you can see the evidence is right in front of you, if you want me to prove myself trust worthy then I shall do the same to myself. I'll show you a simple memory earlier this morning," Arthur continued, his green eyes flashing dangerously in the light.

Ludwig hummed. "Very well, do what you must to prove that the memory is not altered,"

Arthur bowed before using the spell on himself, the scene playing being him speaking with Francis. He made sure to cut it when he's walking through the corridor, ending with him learning of Gilbert's fate.

The magic faded into nothing and the Court remained silent.

"Sir Francis, is this true?" Ludwig questioned.

Francis nodded his head. "Yes, your majesty. Everything that was shown is true."

The nobles muttered among themselves, glancing at the still kneeling Gilbert.

"I suppose it is time to speak. Speak up now if you believe that Gilbert is in fact the culprit for the assassination of Lord Alfred."

No one spoke up, not even Lord Roderich.

"Very well, it is decided, Sir Gilbert shall be freed." Arthur watched as Vash and Matthew came down to untie him, Matthew mumbling to Gilbert before giving him a small smile.

"However, Sir Gilbert shall be placed under the jurisdiction of Sir Arthur as his second guard. This is to ensure that whoever went will not finish the job with Lord Alfred's fiancé." Ludwig order and they were free to leave.

Gilbert is outfitted in his armour once more. Arthur decided to be dining alone in his room with the two of them to guard.

"Sir Arthur-" "Please, when we're alone like this then Arthur is fine,"

Gilbert swallowed, "Then Gilbert is fine as well. Thank you, Arthur. For saving me from that fate,"

Arthur smiled. "I would do it no matter what, Gilbert."

Francis smiled as he watched the two interact, his sharp eyes picking up at the increased the attraction between them. The way Arthur leaned forward to comfort Gilbert by touching his hand. The way Gilbert's eyes lit up with gratitude that could become something more.

"Oh, come to think of it, I should be more careful now that I might become a target," Arthur pointed out thoughtfully. He took a bit of the food from his plate. "Here, it's always good to double check right?"

Gilbert blinked, "Eh? Oh uh, yeah,"

"Come on, open your mouth!" Arthur cheerfully stated, holding up the piece to Gilbert.

"A-ah, yeah," Gilbert flushed opening his mouth to allow Arthur to feed him.

He closed his eyes to savour the taste of the meat and the flavour. The chefs have truly outdone themselves this time! Gilbert thought, with a satisfied smile. It's been a long time since he had something other than sale bread since his capture.

"So? How does it taste?" Arthur asked his green eyes wide in anticipation.

Gilbert flushed as he remembered himself. "Oh, it-it tastes good. It's good. Yeah, tastes pretty safe to me."

"Is that so?" Arthur lit up, taking a bit from another dish, this time the cake, "Here. This might be poisoned too!"

"Eh? Are you that scared Arthur?" Gilbert asked in surprise.

Arthur shook his head and smiled, "No, I'm simply being cautious now. After all, I was supposed to be married to Lord Alfred and they might try to finish the job via food!"

Gilbert hummed. "Alright, I guess it won't hurt."

Arthur beamed at Gilbert, causing him to glance to the side. "Here, taste this one!"

Francis couldn't help the smile on his face as he looked over them. Arthur feeding Gilbert bits of everything. Both he and Arthur knew that the food was taste tested already. Arthur may be sneaky about this but he knew what he was doing. He was helping Gilbert recover from being fed prison food. Though it may also be because Arthur's following his heart, Francis mused. He knew the man enough to know when he's testing the waters for any sort of relationship.

"Oh and my drink might be poisoned too!" Arthur grabbed his goblet and allowed Gilbert to take a sip.

"It tastes good to me," Gilbert pointed out.

Arthur nodded his head eagerly. "I see, I see! Thank you so much for your help Gilbert,"

Gilbert rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Ah, what can I say? I'm glad to be of service, Arthur,"

* * *

Soon afternoon came by and they went to work. Arthur noted that the staff had a distinct shape. If anything, it reminds him of Russia's pipe. The scarf also pointed to Russia's counterpart however, they don't know the man here. Hmm, possible contract job or ulterior motive of some sort, Arthur hummed, that's an idea.

"Gilbert," He spoke up, "The attacker, do you suspect he works alone?"

"I doubt it, he was right in front of me when I blacked out," Gilbert replied, his arms crossed.

Francis scowled, "A group of rebels?"

Arthur shook his head, "The kingdom is not dissatisfied with King Ludwig. I doubt there'd be any rebels when we're in what could be the height of prosperity," The information flowed through his mind. King Ludwig and his Consort, Feliciano ruled the kingdom in peace time. In fact, this was the most peaceful and prosperous that they have been.

"Then an independent party," Gilbert replied, "Someone didn't like Lord Alfred's decision in ruling and decided he needed to be offed."

Arthur thought it over. Yes, that might actually be the case. Ivan and his sisters may be working together under Ivan. He's known the two's counterparts long enough to figure out their hostility being transferred here would make sense. Now how will he track them?

"Argh!" Gilbert groaned in frustration, "If only there was some way to track them down with whatever was left behind!"

Left behind… Arthur narrowed his eyes. What did they leave behind?

"A knife," Arthur muttered to himself. "A knife, of course!"

Francis raised an eyebrow while Gilbert looked at him like he was crazy.

He began pacing to and fro, "The knife was left by the culprit. It won't be much but I'll have to make up a spell in order for it to show the faces of the last few people to have handled it by the last erm, ten? It'll narrow down our suspects at least and we can track them down."

"That's brilliant!" Francis exclaimed. "And with Sir Gilbert we can be able to identify him by his height, as well as search for the sort of scarf and staff yes?"

Gilbert grinned, "Kesese! Soon we'll be able to catch the culprit and Court might actually let all the other guards rest for once. Man, the guards have to stay up all day because the Court is active all day!"

"Ah," Francis sighed, "Speaking of which…"

"Well, I should give them all some food and water yes?" Arthur hummed.

Francis sighed as the two of them trailed after Arthur. They guarded him as he went around the castle and handed out apples and did his best to alleviate their tiredness, telling them to rotate with another guard unit if they're too tired. They can't move unless ordered or in a scheduled unit.

"Sir Francis, please have someone get the knife while I formulate the spell. This may take a while but I'm not called a 'prodigy' for nothing hmm?" Arthur said, heading to the bluebell woods. It will be a huge help in grounding his magic for this.

The sun still in the sky, he and Gilbert sat at the edge of the field.

"So, not to be rude but why are we in the bluebell woods?" He asked.

Arthur chuckled, "You're not rude, Gilbert. To answer the question, we're here because the place is saturated in magic and I'll be using that as a neutral source without my magic signature in order for the spell to work without my magic being pinpointed at."

Gilbert nodded his head. "Okay, sounds like a plan."

"I have a feeling that Francis will take a while to get it so we might as well get to know each other more," Arthur pointed out.

Gilbert blinked, "Alright, uhm, if you had to pick anyone in the world who do you want to eat dinner with?"

"Interesting question," Arthur replied with a thoughtful hum. "I would pick you in all honesty. I'm curious about you and I'm interested in learning more about you,"

"Kesesese, I guess you are," Gilbert laughed his cheeks red in embarrassment.

"What would you describe to be the perfect day?" Arthur asked, leaning forward to hear the man's reply.

"Ah, a perfect day would be waking up to birds chirping and singing, then I would see something cute. It would be nice to pet it and then I'd go through my work and come out on top with the best results…"

This continued for a long time. They talked and learned more about each other, their goals, their dreams and the things they hold dear to their life. Arthur tried to make his answers match what his profile said while still keeping it somewhat true. It hurts him to be lying to such an energetic and strong man such as Gilbert. Who is apparently the bastard son of the previous king, King Aldrich and as such, he is half-brothers with King Ludwig.

Gilbert learned of his desire to help others by getting a good position and making changes from there as the Royal Magician.

When the sun was up till what Arthur can tell to be three pm, Francis came back looking a bit ruffled and bearing the knife unaltered in a box.

"Alright come on, no time to waste," Arthur chirped happily as they strolled deeper into the woods.

There, Arthur opened up the box and began to test the spell. At first it only showed the face of Gilbert with his first name showing underneath, but slowly it showed a few more. It showed the smiling face of Ivan, Ukraine's counterpart named Katyusha and Natalia. Then a chef in the kitchens by the name of Tino a copy of Finland, then another chef named Berwald a copy of Sweden. He tried to edge it further in order to have more suspects but that's the most he could get from the knife.

He already eliminated Gilbert, which left the soviet siblings and confirmed his theory. With this in mind, he memorized the image before him and cancelled the spell. "I think I have an idea on our suspects,"

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's either that Natalia lady or that creepy Ivan guy," Gilbert snickered.

Arthur merely sighed. "I have a feeling it's them. Still, we have names and a face, all we need now is to track them."

"Easier said than done," Francis piped in.

The world faded to black.

* * *

The moment the world came back into focus, he's standing in the Court Room with his guards in tow and the knife in the box.

"My king, I have learnt the identity of the attacker." He announced calmly. He's not even surprised at where he is now, so used to the world fading and coming back like a light.

He swept his arm and the image of Ivan appeared before them. "I have good reason to believe this is the culprit who assassinated Lord Alfred,"

The courtiers whispered amongst themselves, glancing at one another, hoping for a reaction for this unknown person.

"And do you believe this to be the beginnings of a rebellion?" Ludwig asked.

Arthur shook his head. "The kingdom is satisfied with how you rule, we are in prosperity. There is no reason to rebel. This is a singular act, born from someone with a deep hatred for how Lord Alfred ruled."

"And this is the man that dislikes how Lord Alfred ruled?" Roderich cut in.

Arthur nodded his head. "Indeed, Lord Roderich,"

"Then, we shall have posters of him everywhere, ensure that he is caught-"

A knife flew from the crowd of courtiers and straight for Arthur however Gilbert brought up his shield to catch it, the knife digging into the wood vibrating from the force.

Arthur grinned, "Hello, Natalia. Here to protect brother dearest?"

"How did you know?" She stepped up, lowering her hood to reveal her cold and empty blue eyes glaring at him.

"Magic," He replied back.

Another knife came flying towards him, Gilbert protecting him once more. The Court room had long since been deserted once the first knife came. The only ones left being Arthur and his guards as well as Natalia. He closed his eyes. His magic echoing back to reveal another person, tall and hiding in the upper rafters, Arthur scowled.

His eyes flashed open when the figure jumped down, directly above Gilbert.

"Gilbert, watch out!" He tackled Gilbert out of the way. In the background, he noticed Francis sneaking behind Natalia.

The man who landed being Ivan, holding the odd looking staff that looked much like a wooden version of his pipe. His purple eyes seemed to glow while his scarf covered his bottom face.

"It looks like I've been caught." He spoke in his weirdly childish tone. He acted like a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar instead of an assassin whose cover was blown. "Ah well, I've always wanted to finish off the whole set," He continued with a twisted sort of glee.

Arthur grinned at the man as if challenging him. "Don't even bother,"

His magic manifested in sharp cuts. He used his magic in the form of a sword, his other hand throwing around his magic in the form of daggers. The daggers situated themselves in random places, scattering around and some glancing through Ivan's leather armour.

"Natalia's out," Francis called out, causing Ivan to go stiff.

Gilbert ran towards Ivan locking him in combat. They battled as Arthur tied up Natalia for imprisonment. Francis guarding her to ensure she wouldn't wake up once more and run off somehow. He watched as they neared his daggers and with a smile, he changed the form of his magic to go from daggers to thorny vines.

The vines reached to wrap around Ivan however, Ivan saw this and reached to take Gilbert with him, trapping the two of them together, unarmed.

"If you try anything to capture me, then he dies," Ivan snarled out, his arm around Gilbert's neck.

Gilbert shook his head, "All that matters is capturing him."

Arthur moved closer to them, biting his lip in worry.

"Don't come any closer!" Ivan shouted, tightening his grip on Gilbert's neck.

Arthur paused in his movements. His green eyes are scanning them, calculating his next move. He's warily watching Ivan for any change in mind. "Let him go, Ivan."

"No!" Ivan screamed, "I'll let him go if you let my sister go."

One of the vines crept up slowly, Arthur's making it slowly crawl up to Ivan's neck but to do that successfully he knows he'll have to stall. "That night…when you murdered Lord Alfred… Why did you do that?"

Ivan sneered at him, "Like you said. He ruled like a pathetic, weakling. He was soft and kind, like a frail little butterfly." Arthur noticed he lost the innocence and childlike mischief in his voice.

"People can't be ruled with kindness, only fear." Ivan stated. His arm still around Gilbert's throat but much more relaxed.

Arthur took a step closer. "May I at least say something to Gilbert?"

"Go ahead," Ivan scoffed.

He smiled at Gilbert reassuringly, the vine almost there. All he need now was for them to relax. "What are you doing?" Gilbert hissed. The arm around him tightened to keep him silent. He winced.

"It's going to be alright, Gilbert. I promise. Then we can have that dinner I mentioned earlier. We'll have cake and tea, then we simply enjoy each other's company, we'll talk and you can even pet my hair. You said you like to pet cute things right, and you said I'm cute so I'm sure you'd like that,"

Almost there, he thought to himself as he distracted them with his speech.

"Oh? Lovers, naughty Arthur, going behind the back of your precious fiancé," Ivan jeered.

Arthur didn't say anything to refute that claim having instead chosen to continue talking. "Then we can have a night stroll through the bluebell woods, I'll even use my magic to make floating lights around us and it'll be great."

"How cute- Grrk!" The vin wasted no chance in wrapping around Ivan's throat, squeezing tightly until Ivan was forced to let go of Gilbert, another vine darting up to lower him gently.

" _Sleep!"_ Arthur shouted, throwing sleeping powder at Ivan and watching as he fell asleep.

He cancelled his magic and ran towards Gilbert his magic pulsing once more to check on him. "Are you alright?"

Gilbert coughed and hacked. "I'll be fine. Though…" He hesitantly glanced up. "Was what you were saying true? Or was it just a set up?"

Arthur leaned forward and in a fit of bravery kissed him on the lips. "It's all true,"

Gilbert flushed. The kiss had happened so fast, it felt like it was barely there. "That…that would be nice," He moved to kiss him on the cheek.

Arthur smiled, his cheeks a rosy red. "I suppose we'll be courting then?"

"If that's what you want," Gilbert replied softly, "But I would like to think so yes,"

"I'd gladly be with you, Gilbert." He replied equally as soft. They stood up from their place on the floor and hugged. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling.

The world faded to the bland room once again.

* * *

England's arms are still raised as if Gilbert is still in his arms. He opened his eyes with disappointment. Slowly, he lowered them, noticing the little knife charm dangling on his bracelet, a little reminder of his short romance with Gilbert.

He still felt that longing, that wish to see them all again. England wished to see the bluebell woods with his name to him instead of a false identity. He longed for the days where he can simply be himself without lying about his past, his history, his own actual personal life. He missed it so much, like he was missing a limb. He misses it.

(England can't help but long for the days beyond this bland room, where he can feel sunshine and take a walk when he wants to. He misses the days where he is simply him and not a role with a predetermined past. Where he is free and that is all that matters. The sky is still blue, the trees are still green. And yet it feels like his entire world has changed, and it has. He doesn't have the freedom or the spirit and his connection to his people is more like a distant connection than the low buzzing in him mind. He prays and hopes and wills that his connection will not be broken and his country will not fall.)

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Yay, I'm done! Haha, I decided to give Prussia some love cause I've been using him as the bad guy for a while. Also, knights and magic just mix well together. Also, chapter thirteen and knights, assassination, Friday the thirteenth? Ehehehe XD So here you have it! I will admit that I _was_ distracted by the Kubz Scouts cause he did a play through of 'Detroit: Become Human'. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have a good day! (Or night!)**


	14. Chapter 14: Capture My Heart!

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(If you want a certain ship to come up, just suggest them!)**

 **As requested by cookiesNcream1703, a harem styled fanfiction with the Asian Countries and some European countries sprinkled in! Here you go ;) I hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Capture My Heart!

* * *

England couldn't help making his next drawing seem a bit more fantastical. He drew the two of them surrounded by trees and bluebells. Their faces relaxed and glowing with joy. The entire atmosphere of the scenery made it seem as if they were calm and cheerful in these magical woods.

Perhaps he should label them with the names, so he won't truly forget them that way? Feeling spontaneous, he decided to go back and add their names. Alfred, Francis, Antonio, Yao, Ivan, all of them, including his own counterpart's name for the ones with him in there. _(It serves as a reminder that those are not the countries and that is not who he truly is. He needs that reminder if he wants to stay intact.)_

He continued flipping through the pages, sometimes taking his time to truly gaze at his works. There's one with the red string, tying him to Kiku as the man looked like he was fading away as the sun rose high. He depicts Arthur _(not himself, an act, a simple role even if his feelings are true)_ reaching out to him with longing. He made sure his labels weren't large and took away the attention from the drawings, instead at the side, still visible but not overly so.

His task done he reflected on his latest play. Gilbert had been…sweet to him. Possibly because he actually proved him innocent instead of joining the rest in blaming him, England hummed. Still, he's not sure how long he stayed up, the lights never change and there aren't any windows that show the time of day. All there is in this bland room are the items on and around him and himself.

Come to think of it, all he has done in the past few days _(at least by his standards)_ is draw, eat, drink and jump and the cycle repeats. He hasn't allowed himself to rest, nor has he allowed himself to take a breath beyond those breaks, as if on a marathon to see how many he can take at once. It can't be healthy, he decided heading towards the bed. He needs to rest.

With that in mind, he fell into a deep slumber, his mind too tired to care about how much time might be wasted. He wants to see them as fast as possible but that can't be possible if he's too tired to function.

He woke up with tears in his eyes and his mouth open with a gasp. What…was that? All he remembers are…clocks. Clocks with numbers in red, as if painted with blood, then he was fighting, he doesn't know what he was fighting but he was fighting and then the world turned black and all he can hear is his own voice apologizing again and again and again. He doesn't know who he's apologizing too, just that he had to apologize.

So…why is he crying?

He reached up to wipe away the tears. No matter, it's probably some dream about him missing his fellow countries and the fact he's not sure how long he's been away from them. Hopefully they aren't too worried with his disappearance. He shook his head, he should fix himself up before he jumps or else he might mess up whatever situation he's dumped into.

He sat down and watched with bored eyes as a cup of tea appeared before him, already used to things popping in and out of existence.

"Say, Scones," His eyes fell on the cat, "I'm probably imagining things because that dream felt like it was about something else. But it can't be much, I'm pretty sure the dream was about me being worried about the time and missing my fellow countries,"

The plush cat didn't answer. All he could do is sit back and drink his tea.

"I'm worried. Something about it seems…off but I can't do anything about that."

He drank his tea in large gulps, his anxiousness causing him to simply hurry along.

"I don't think I can finish the rest of it, so take it away, please." He announced walking towards the poster.

He sighed but reached to the necklace, drawing comfort from it. Stay calm, he thought. He'll be alright. As he read the next play he smirked, this time he's been accepted into a school for supernatural creatures. He decides to let his teachers and classmates try to figure out what he is.

Fun times for everyone then, with a cheeky grin he pushed a hand through and fell.

* * *

The fall was too quick to savour this time. Instead, the only thing he can do is laugh and grin as he landed in his room. A boarding school, he noted grabbing the notebook from the bed and reading through it eagerly.

' _Name: Arthur Britannica_ _ **(Albion)**_

 _Age: Physically 18 years old_ _ **(20, 000 years old)**_

 _Gender: Physically male_ _ **(Shapeshifter)**_

 _Race: God of Trickery, Magic and Mischief_

 _Backstory: Bored in the Other Lands, Albion decides it's high time he plays a trick in the mortal lands and what better place than a school? With that in mind the shape shifting god picked a form and enrolled with only the principal the wiser and that's only because the two have been allies for quite some time now._

 _Note: If the prank goes well and he hasn't been given any malice for his hiding his identity, then he'll see it fit to send some of his servants to teach the advanced classes. The principal has been lamenting the lack of staff for quite a long time, being the Goddess of Education and all that.'_

Albion-Or should he simply say Arthur- smiled at this, that explains the single room and the design of it too.

The room is covered with various animals but most notably a lion and a wolf. Those must be his most favoured animal forms then. The green covered with gold vines says a lot about his colour choice too. He knew that shape shifting would be instinctive so he pulled out a mirror and allowed himself to fall back into what felt like his natural state.

His eyes are glowing green with slit pupils and his hair grew longer and is now the colour of gold and silver, weaving around each other into a beautiful masterpiece. He opens his mouth and notes the sharp fangs and one look at his skin makes him realize his skin is literally a faint pale gold and his tattoos standout all the more. He wonders for a moment if he can make the tattoo on his back act as actual wings and watches as they become the white wings he had acquainted himself with when he was with Lovino.

He calls the wings back and puts back his shirt, falling back into the apparently diluted form of his. Right on time too because he realized he should get going or else he'd be late. He rushed outside with his bag, running with a grin and heading off to his first class.

However he's stopped by the fact he bumps into a guy.

"Aiyaa, watch where you're going!" He snarled turning around to see Arthur smiling apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I'm late for class since I got lost," He noted that the person he bumped into is Yao's counterpart, wearing traditional Chinese royalty clothing.

Yao relaxed, "Oh, I see. I apologize for snapping but I was unable to sleep well last night,"

"I see, well, if you don't mind can you please point me out to where the Magical History classes are?" Arthur pulled out his time table.

Yao raised an eyebrow, "I'm…actually headed there myself. If you would like, I can walk with you there."

He brightened up spectacularly at the offer. "Please do! Oh, by the way, my name is Arthur Britannica, nice to meet you,"

"Yao Wang," He inclined his head. "Come along now if you do not wish to be late."

Arthur belatedly realized that there's a turquoise pearl stationed underneath Yao's chin. Curious he asked about it.

"Huh? Oh my pearl? All Chinese Dragons have one. It's called a 'Pearl of Wisdom'. Be sure not to try touching it unless you wish to… _disappear._ " Yao threatened with a dark look.

"Don't worry," Arthur replied, "I won't try anything like that. I'm not some insensitive arse."

"I trust you to keep your judgement then. Oh, we're here already."

They arrived into the classroom, their teacher missing. Yao merely sniffed haughtily.

"Honestly," He narrowed his eyes, "The least the school could do is provide a substitute for when the Werewolf teachers are incapacitated."

"The school sure is understaffed," Arthur hummed.

Yao nodded his head. "Such is life, aru,"

"Kesesese! Did you miss us?!" Gilbert exclaimed with a grin. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"It's those three again," Yao said in defeat. "The albino is Gilbert, he's a vampire, don't worry though he feeds on the school provided blood packets. The blond one is Francis, an incubus so watch out for any flirting. The last one is Antonio, he's a Dryad. His life tree has yet to be planted though."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Are they always this loud?"

"Yes and it's a headache. At least you aren't like that, aru," Yao gave him an appreciative look. "In fact, I'm claiming you as my seatmate for the rest of the year."

"You are?" Well, that was a surprise.

Yao nodded his head. "You make much better company than anyone in this class. Now if only you were in all of my classes, aru,"

"Oh, thank you. If it's worth anything, I think you make for good company as well."

Yao flushed, his cheeks a slight pink. "Oh, thank you then."

"Oh, look! We've got another new guy," Gilbert pointed out heading over to the man. The three of them surrounded him all looking him up and down while Yao looked evidently ticked off by their arrival.

" _Bonjour_ , I am Francis Bonnefoy," The incubus produced a red rose, thorn less and prettily in bloom. "To see someone has handsome as you is a blessing."

Arthur flushed, he remembered his second play as vividly as his first but this time there is no yelling and arguing but sweet words and flirtations.

Gilbert shoved Francis to the side. "I'm the great Gilbert Beilschmidt, so you better remember it when I make you scream!" The man winked.

Yao glared at them, his brown eyes flashing red for a second.

"Oh, we're introducing ourselves? I'm Antonio Carriedo, here have a tomato!" The Dryad opened up a hand and showed a nice and shiny tomato ripe for the taking.

Overwhelmed (He is sitting next to a man he once fell in love with as well as three others, one of which ended in tragedy) Arthur glanced at Yao for help.

Yao saw this and leapt into action. "Move away, aru! Can't you tell that you're overwhelming him?"

"Ah, I apologize, my dear. For your troubles, I shall give you a-" "Please, move away now."

Francis blinked. "Ah, he speaks!" The man grinned triumphantly. "I was beginning to think you were one of the silent ones. Can't speak for fear of charming the entire class, I must say you have the voice of an Angel!"

Arthur sighed okay, he should do something. With that in mind, he flicked his wrist and watched as they were pushed back. "Please leave me in peace. I'm a bit overwhelmed by you all."

Antonio smiled sheepishly. "Ah, sorry about that, hey, can you at least tell us your name?"

Arthur hummed, it's only fair. "Arthur Britannica, at your service,"

"Well, we shall leave you in peace," Francis promised. "Though it would be nice to talk with you once more, _mon ami_."

"Well, see ya!" Gilbert and his group walked away.

Yao sneered at them. "For a vampire that was changed when Prussia was at its height, he still acts juvenile."

"You seem to know everyone's creature type," Arthur pointed out.

Yao nodded, "I gained much knowledge on such things due to my travels. One thing I am curious about is your type seeing as I've never seen yours before."

"I'd like to keep you guessing," Arthur replied cheekily.

"Hmm, not even a little hint?" Yao teased with a twitch of a smile on his face.

Arthur smirked but decided to humour him. "I live for a long time and I can use magic."

"Not much of a hint but good enough," Yao nodded his head, Arthur watched as the pearl moved alongside the skin.

The bell rung and they headed outside. "Now the Illusionary classes are on the hall down the right, go left and you should find the door. If not then… look for a Kitsune named Kiku and he'll help you out, you can't miss him, not when he's already got six tails." Yao lectured.

Arthur nodded, "Six tails, white fur, brown hair and brown eyes, got it." Not like he can actually forget Kiku, no doubt he'll be wearing a blue and white kimono like he did in Halloween once.

Yao smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'll be sure to see you soon, Arthur."

"As will I, Yao,"

With a wave they made their good byes.

* * *

"Ah, I've been told to look for you if I'm lost," Arthur said approaching Kiku.

He's not lost in actuality. He's the farthest from it. Seeing as he had memorised the directions Yao had given. However, did wish to speak to Kiku again. It had been a while since he spoke with Japan's counterpart.

Kiku blinked before giving him a bow. "I see, you must be new around here. I suppose you are in the same class as me?"

"Yes I am, er, I'm Arthur Britannica," He introduced himself.

Kiku glanced at him. "Kiku Honda, ah we're here."

They entered the class and realized they're the first few to arrive.

"May I ask who directed you towards me?" Kiku asked as he took a seat, Arthur taking the seat beside him.

"Yao did actually," Arthur replied. He watched as Kiku's eyes flickered from brown to blue and yellow for a moment. Arthur raised an eyebrow, was it something he said?

Kiku stayed silent for a moment before saying, "I see. Well, seeing as we may be waiting for a short while, may I ask how you find the school to be so far?"

"Oh, it's a very lovely school! Though, I find it to be understaffed, so that may be a problem. Perhaps for that, you can have the students help each other in whatever subject they need help with in order to have them be able to improve instead of not knowing what to do… Study buddies assigned by the teacher perhaps and then have a teacher write it on the board?"

Kiku nodded his head, "I see. Thank you for that, perhaps I shall speak with the Student Council about this issue."

"Oh, are you the Student Council President?" Arthur asked.

Kiku gave him a smile. "I am, please do not be afraid to talk to me about any problems you may have concerning the school. I'm always here to help."

Arthur smiled at Kiku brightly. "I will! Ah, come to think of it, seeing as I'm a transfer student, can you help me catch up to the material? I don't want to be lost in the lecture."

"Alright, do you have your book? We're currently going over illusions that change atmosphere and temperature, but before that we went over illusions that included smell and taste." Kiku began pointing out the chapters on the book.

Arthur hummed making an illusion of a plate sushi he remembered eating when he was at Japan's house for their alliance. Kiku observed it and went to check the taste, eating it with a content smile as the illusion disappeared.

"It looks like you're caught up already. You have no need to worry, I'm sure you'll do well," Kiku assured him.

Their teacher walked in, England wondered why it seemed their teacher is faceless, though he has a mouth and a nose, the eyes are shadowed and the hair is forgettable. Odd, almost as if he was a background character. He shook his head and went back to his role as Albion playing Arthur.

He smirked a bit at the thought. In the end, he's playing the role of a man pretending to be Arthur, how funny.

"Alright class, pair up, we'll be doing illusions that change atmosphere and temperature. I also want you to practice your _aim_. Make sure that your partner is the only one affected by the temperature. For that, I'll be making wall illusions that turn red if it feels any sort of temperature change that spreads farther than it should. For atmosphere, make sure to control it to only affect your own walled space. Head to it,"

Kiku immediately went for Arthur, his hand darting to bring him with him as the walls began to form, with doors on there for them to enter considering these are solid illusions.

"Forgive me for dragging you, Arthur, but I find it would be best to work together with you for obvious reasons," He smiled politely, though from the way his tails swished and swayed he was almost acting…possessive?

Still, Arthur could do nothing but nod. It's not like Kiku's possessive of him, right?

They spent the rest of the period doing various illusions once they got the current lesson down. The two of them would tell each other stories, myths and legends, using illusions alongside the atmosphere and temperature ones in order to see how far they could go. He had decided to start off with a good old fashioned ghost story. In response, Kiku retaliated with the fantastical tale of Princess Kaguya.

Arthur then went on to tell the story of Beowulf in summarized events. The dragon stretching out its wings and roaring, he made the fire give off heat and then eventually showed the heroic battle where Beowulf dies.

"That is quite the interesting story, Arthur. That is an English Epic is it not?" Arthur nodded his head with a pleased smile.

"I hope you would enjoy this then. It is the tale of Orochi the eight-headed serpent and how the Kusanagi was found." With that, they continued.

Arthur enjoyed how the two of them told stories and practiced the material at the same time. It's always fun. He enjoyed this little culture exchange. Perhaps when he gets back home, he'll have one like this for their next culture exchange. Yes, that would be nice.

The hour passed by quickly with the two of them enjoying their time until they went from telling stories to playing around with their illusions- who could make the most detailed looking creature, who could make it seem like it really is there when it isn't- as well as talking about themselves.

He learnt during that time that Kiku and Yao have a sort of…rivalry that stems from a past skirmish back before the school had been made. That rivalry had translated to this as they now have a tense relationship built on snipping words behind polite masks. Arthur told him it sounds like politics on a school scale. Kiku laughed.

* * *

The next period found him wandering the corridor because its study period and he has nothing else better to do than to memorise the school's layout. That's when he bumps into Netherland's counterpart, sitting on a high window sill that could only be reached through flight, meant to accommodate the students who enjoy flying.

He finds the sill of the window to be more like a platform, with soft pillows and enough space to fit more than two. He decides to head up there, the man seemed lonely for some reason, especially seeing as he didn't have Belgium's counterpart nearby.

"Oh hello," He started allowing his wings to come out. He used the same strategy he had done when he was with Lovino. When he came up there he pulled the wings back before Netherland's counterpart could see it. Not like he could anyway, considering the fact he's actually looking out the window and at the night sky. The moonlight streaming down to his face, painting him in gentle strokes, the man gave him a glance but didn't respond.

"Well, I hope you don't mind me staying here. I need to review for Potions seeing as I'm new. I'm Arthur by the way, Arthur Britannica."

"Hmph… Lars Van Rjin."

They stayed like that, Arthur reading and Lars gazing outside the window. Until Lars eventually spoke, his glowing eyes looking at Arthur apathetically.

"Your magic signature is none like anything other."

Arthur smiled mysteriously. "I'm simply one you haven't encountered yet, Mr Witch."

"Lars. Call me Lars, being called Witch feels derogative." Ah, such a monotone voice and yet those eyes are sharp like knives.

"Very well Lars, Arthur should do as well."

Lars narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Interesting, tell me more about yourself and in return I shall do the same."

"Oh?" Arthur let a teasing smile grow on his lips. "Interested in knowing more about _what_ I am or _who_ I am?"

Lars flushed. "Your interest can help narrow down what you may be."

"Very well then, and I'm guessing you follow the tit-for-tat rule then?" Arthur closed his book, it's not he was reading it anyway.

Lars nodded his head. "You go first,"

"Hmm, let's see. I enjoy a few jokes and my art is well done. Your turn," He began. Not a single lie came from his mouth.

Lars stared at him in concentration. "I enjoy making things. Potions, spells, items, anything that I could sell or use,"

"I live for a long time and am capable of using magic," He replied.

This trade went on, the two of them sometimes commenting, sometimes not. Mostly though, they exchanged things back and forth, going from their hobbies to their ambitions with Lars hoping to one day be a financially successful and well known potion maker by then. Arthur merely replied that his ambition is to travel the world and do what he can to help. Soon it became personal things, the original idea having gone with the wind until it became a simple exchange between two people who accept each other.

Lars tilted his head. "I have a younger sister, adopted by magic. I…care about her,"

"I fell in love many times and each time it ended before I could say good bye." Not like he could actually say goodbye seeing as it always fades while he's preoccupied.

Lars had moved from his place to the other end to be closer to him. He reached a hand out and placed it consolingly on Arthur's shoulders.

"I do not envy you and your long life, cursed to watch people you love move on while you are cursed to stay young." He commented.

Arthur smiled and moved closer to him, the hand on his shoulder soon became an arm draped around it. "I thank you for those words, Lars. But if it helps, I've learnt how t cope with it, and even if it hurts at least I am not immune to the charms of love."

Lars glanced down at him before looking away, his ears red. "If you ever need me then I'll be right here. And if you need to look for me, just apply some magic into this,"

He pulled out a little red tulip charm, the metal shining in the moonlight. On the sides, Arthur noticed some runes carved into it. "It was meant to be a back-up in case my sister loses it or if something happens to mine but…I think I can part with this one."

Arthur hugged Lars. "Thank you once again, for being thoughtful."

Lars stiffened up before closing his arms around him. "I…it was nothing. Though, I find it odd that you thank me for my actions."

"One has to encourage and be thankful for acts of kindness in order to see kindness itself once more. If you focus more on the good things, then you'll be able to notice it often right?"

Lars relaxed, his eyes wide. "Right,"

Then the bell rung and they have to go for lunch. Lars nodded his head and the two of them parted ways.

* * *

So far the world hasn't faded to black, Arthur thought following the crowd to what must be the mess hall. So there are a few people he has to also interact with or something is going to happen at lunch.

When he was about to enter the mess hall, someone stopped in front of him, causing him to bump the person. Jeez! What is it with him and bumping people today? Annoyed he was about to say something until he realized who it was in front of him.

Macau's counterpart, Arthur looked to see him speaking to Yao. Macau's counterpart has red eyes and sharp fangs, his ears are slightly pointed and he has a single antler on his head. Another thing he noticed is the tail that swishes from side to side, in the shape of a lion's tail and the feathered wings that look like they're made of gold.

"Oh, I apologize for bumping into you," Arthur said once he realized they noticed him.

"Ah, Arthur, it's nice to see you again. I hope you found your way?" Yao asked, taking along Arthur as Macau's counterpart followed along.

"I have, thank you for the directions, Yao." He glanced at Macau's counterpart, "Hello, I'm Arthur Britannica,"

The man smiled at him, "Nice to meet you Arthur, I'm Xing Le Wang."

Yao looked quite proud of him. "Xing here is a Pixiu, though he's currently in his human form."

"Oh? They're symbols of wealth yes?" Arthur asked curiously. He remembers a few encounters with them when China used to live in his house. Loyal creatures they are, fierce and protective too. Well, considering that Macau's known for gambling it isn't a surprise.

"That's right, Arthur. I can bring wealth and am training to be able to protect the gates of Heaven from vile spirits like many of my kind." Xing answered with that smile on his face.

The three of them spoke as they reached a table, food appearing on it to suit their tastes or circumstances. Xing's own plate held spun gold threads and jewels on top along with mercury to act as a soup.

Yao's plate held your typical meal fit for a king while his own food were ambrosia in a wine glass and high end cuisine. Seeing as he was in the mood for something from home, a meat pie and some other food appeared.

"Oh, is that ambrosia I smell?" Ah, and there's Francis and his friends.

Gilbert's drinking from a pack of blood, almost like its juice with a straw attached to it. Antonio's cheerfully devouring his plate of tomatoes. As for Francis, well he didn't have anything on him. But that should be normal considering he's an Incubus.

"Yes, it's ambrosia," Arthur replied drinking it.

"Oh! Interesting, either you're a demigod, a creation from one of the gods or a descendant." Francis hummed.

Gilbert licked his lips, "That just makes you even more interesting, kesesese!"

"Mah, Gilbert, calm down." Antonio said as he took a seat on the table. The other two did so as well.

"Well, if you are of godly origin, then it would explain your long life and ability to use magic. It narrows it down but now the differences are even harder to spot!" Yao exclaimed, still rather interested in their little game.

Xing tilted his head. "Is it a game to figure out what you are? If so, then I'd like to add my two cents!"

"Ohonhonhon, please do _Monsieur_ Xing. Your insight is always welcome."

The table is filled with chatter as they all spoke, Arthur giving hints or simply teasing them as they eventually began to clamour over him. Kiku had noticed this and came to try and rescue him from the loud commotion but it somehow turned into a tense battle over who Arthur would rather be with, him or Yao.

This turned into a fully fleshed out argument with all of them over who Arthur would like to be with. The trio were even arguing with each other over this. All of them snapping and snarling over who Arthur would choose and digging at each other's own faults such as grades, temper and attitude. Hell, Xing, had even made a dig on Yao's past when he was young. Arthur stayed silent throughout it all, as some of the points (mainly done by Francis) made him blush.

Lars noticed the clamour and came in there, the arguments grew silent as they eyed Lars warily.

"And what does the _witch_ want with us?" Gilbert sneered. He happened to have a huge distaste for witches ever since the witch he fell in love with tried to murder him with a frying pan because he had targeted the man she was living with.

Lars gazed at them coldly, nodding his head at Kiku who relaxed and did the same.

"What is going on here?" He asked. His voice seemed to be echoing though Arthur figured that would be due to the fact it's pulsing with magic.

"Uhm, you see…" Arthur began, "They're fighting over who I'd rather spend my time with,"

Lars nodded his head. "Well the answer should be obvious. He'll spend time with me."

This caught their attention and Kiku was the first to respond. "Forgive me for this Lars but I would like to disagree with you. You see, I'm sure he'd rather spend time with me."

And the argument starts again, Arthur groaned, sinking his head into his hands in exasperation. They loudly or not so loudly argued with one another. All Arthur could hear was the familiar chatter that normally came with a meeting but this time the topic was over him. As much as he's flattered that they all want to spend time with him, he's not sure about this.

 _(He ignores the pang in his heart as he remembers how a meeting typically goes. It starts out orderly until they all begin fighting over something or the other. England sees this and realizes how much he misses the chaotic meetings. As if only realizing now how much he misses home. He watches them fondly and hungers for his own. If there's a bit of tears in his eyes…well, he'll certainly deny it.)_

Then a younger year approached him. Blinking, he realized its Hong Kong's counterpart! Thank the stars, he remembers Hong Kong being silent and a cool head.

"Excuse me, are you Arthur?" He asked, and only now did Arthur notice the flaming wings on his back and the triangle tail with feathers of fire.

"I am, and you are?" The younger male blushed a bit.

"Long Jia Wang, Fenghuang." He recited. "You can call me, Leon."

Arthur patted him on the head, "It's nice to meet you, Leon. Well, shall we leave them to it?"

Leon nodded his head. "I know a good place to relax. The school has a game room, if you like how about we play a game of Dance Dance Revolution?"

"Sure! It's been a while since I played anything," Arthur grinned.

Contrary to popular belief, he's caught up with America's level of modern technology. He is the country that made punk after all. He sometimes dominates the arcade if he's bored.

The two of them left the arguing group behind with Leon smirking as he watched the group arguing before turning his attention back to Arthur.

* * *

"Guys, where's Arthur?" Gilbert asked, noticing the scent of Arthur has grown faint, as if he wasn't there.

Needless to say, they panicked.

"Wah! He left us!" Antonio pouted.

Yao narrowed his eyes and realized the deliberate trace of magic that was left behind. Right above the spot that Arthur was standing. That magic trace is definitely…

"That damn spoiled brat!" Yao exclaimed having identified the deliberate magic trace left behind. He recognized that flame signature anywhere! The ungrateful, spoiled, fenghuang!

"Eh? Could it be…that the young Fenghuang that you were tasked to guard once took off with him?" Xing asked.

Yao growled too angry to even reply. Kiku scoffed behind his kimono sleeve. "What are you waiting for? You know that flame anyway, lead us to it."

Yao glared at Kiku but Kiku merely smiled at him. Gilbert and his friends agreed. Lars merely stood behind them all, intimidating with his narrow eyes and cold gaze.

"Lead the way," Xing urged and Yao stood up, his eyes changed to red in order to trace the flames.

They all moved together following Yao as he led to way to the…arcade room?

"Are you trying to play us you shitty old man?!" Gilbert snarled, grabbing Yao by his collar.

Yao glared at him, baring his teeth as smoke began to come out of his mouth. Xing narrowed his eyes and moved to intercept them before the fighting could escalate.

"Look, Yao wants to find Arthur as much as you do. It would be a waste of time if he tried to trick you."

Gilbert snarled at his words. "What if this is just a ploy to dump us in here while he finds Arthur and whisks him away from us?"

Francis moved to calm Gilbert down, his hands wrapping around as he used the aura of an Incubus to subdue him into a calmer state. "Calm down, Gilbert," He purred into his ears.

Gilbert relaxed and nodded his head at Francis who released with his a smile. Antonio patted Gilbert on the shoulder. "It wouldn't look good in front of Arthur if you lost your temper,"

"J-ja…" Gilbert nodded his head, looking at the way Xing spoke to Yao.

Kiku silently left them as he entered the arcade room. The room had been adjusted so that the volume wouldn't overwhelm the creatures with highly sensitive hearing while still being loud and entertaining. His eyes scanned the room until he spotted the Dance Dance Revolution machine, that scent.

It looks like he found Arthur and the fenghuang playing a game together. The fenghuang grinning as Arthur concentrated on the game.

The rest of the gang caught up to him, gazing at Arthur there like that playing a game with the fenghuang on DDR. He laughed and grinned and spun around and people were starting to notice his elegance, grace and beauty. The moment the game was done, they gathered around Arthur.

"Arthur, next time to sneak away without telling us, we were so worried!" Antonio hugged him. Lars grabbed Antonio and tore him off Arthur and hugged him instead.

Kiku scowled and moved to lift up Arthur's chin. In a possessive and forward fit of his typical Kitsune nature, he kissed the corner of his mouth. 'Don't make me worry next time," He whispered softly.

Arthur flushed at his but nodded sheepishly. Yao shoved Kiku to the side and after seeing Kiku's possessive kiss, decided to one up the Kitsune by kissing him on the temple and cradling his head to his chest, even though Lars had his arms wrapped around his shoulders. Lars had made sure that Arthur's back was to his body so that he could rest his head on Arthur's. As if it was a statement.

Gilbert nipped him on the neck before grinning at him. "I was worried you know! Don't leave me, that ain't cool!"

Francis chuckled and did a greeting kiss, kissing on both cheeks. "It's nice to see you have fun, Arthur. If you're ever in need for a different kind of fun, I'm always here." He winked.

Arthur rolled his eyes as Antonio also kissed him. "Arthur, don't run off like that, here have a tomato!"

"He doesn't want your tomato," Lars growled and Antonio inched back a bit.

Meanwhile, Xing spoke with the fenghuang. "Ah, Long Jia Wang, the fenghuang that Yao once guarded."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Yes. What do you want?"

"Don't take off with him again unless you value your life…" Xing muttered to him and Leon looked at him suspiciously.

"Don't act as if he is yours unless he truly is." He tilted his head to gesture to the others who crowded him.

Xing's eyes hardened with resolve. "Still, I wish he was."

"We all do," He acknowledged.

"Perhaps we shall make our interests known? I'm willing to share if he is open to this." Xing replied off-handedly.

Leon smirked. "His own harem?"

"Well, it's not like not been done before and I know when to cut my losses." His glasses shined.

"We must discuss this with the others then…Once they let go of him that is…"

They walked back to the group as they all crowded him, Arthur had taken control of them all and began herding them all and lecturing them on the fact he's fine and in fact a grown person who can take care of himself and not a child that they all seem to see him as.

"Actually, they see you as a desirable partner." Leon bluntly pointed out.

Arthur flushed, "Excuse me?"

'I won't bother to sugar coat it," Xing smiled genially. "I want you as a partner as do they,"

"Alright then, just so you know I don't like choosing." Arthur said. It's true, he can't choose. Not when he knows how they'll treat him and what they are like… Besides, Lars, Xing and Leon that is.

"Then how about we rotate until you could choose?" Kiku suggested.

"And if you can't then I'm fine with harems." Yao hummed. It's not that farfetched and he gets to have him even if he'll have to share.

"Erm, I guess a harem could do." Arthur replied, the words slipping out of his lips.

Ah, it looks like his little fun isn't going to last huh?

"A harem? Alright, sounds good!"

In the end they all agreed, which Arthur found to be oddly sudden. However his knowledge as Albion (ah yes, how could he forget that he's playing as a trickster god here?) told him that the strong attraction even if they knew each other for a short time meant that they were life mates. It's not that odd for some of the gods in the Other Lands to have soul mates from this plane of life.

This meant that they're meant for him to be with, though Albion knows this meant that as long as he is with them, they'll live for as long as he does and their deaths will hurt him, physically and spiritually. Albion knew that they'll be added to his palace and as long as they return to him, he'll let them do as they please.

How unexpected, Albion thought as he cleared his throat. Time for a reveal then?

"Well, it looks like you're all my life mates,"

Yao cut him off. "-Wait? Isn't only something those from the Other Lands have?"

"Well, yes, see I am actually Albion, god of Trickery, Magic and Mischief." He winked cheekily.

"Were you lying to us then?" Kiku asked softly, slightly hurt at this.

Albion shook his head, "No, everything I said, did and acted was actually who I am. You'll be the only ones to see that side. And well, I suppose then I'll have you be a part of my palace then? As guardians, scholars or whatever your fancies are, you will have a role in keeping my palace and land as best run as it could be. Funnily enough, I was being overloaded by paperwork and with eight provinces and eight people my problem is solved."

He paused, right, he should actually continue with this. Especially seeing as he had their attention. "Now, I'll let you do as you wish as long as you come back home. I'll make sure the place is staffed so that your education is done. I'll also request that you bare my mark on your shoulder."

"I would gladly take it. Once I am finished, I request to be a part of your commanders." Kiku replied without missing a beat.

"I swear to take your mark and once I am finish, I ask to be in charge of the guards," Yao stood.

Gilbert, Francis and Antonio glanced at each other.

"Well, I don't know about you too but once I'm done I'm calling dibs on training the soldiers!" Gilbert grinned. "It'll be just like old times back when I used to command the Prussian army alongside Old Fritz!"

"Well, then I'd like to be the chef then, I'm sure the food over there must be terrible considering how you look." Francis clicked his tongue as how 'skinny' he is. "Yes, I shall be head chef and feed you with lots of love!"

"Well, I'm sure your trees and plants need help!" Antonio pitched in with a grin, "I bet you don't even have a tomato or two in the gardens!"

"I'm taking over trades then. From what you said, you must be overworked in the Other Lands." Lars piped in.

"Lars, what about your sister?!" Albion asked in concern.

"My sister is smart. I can visit her anytime I want to anyway. I didn't mention that she's a ghost." Lars replied. "In the end she didn't want to leave me and is now a spirit summon of mine."

"I see…" Albion replied as the rest chimed in what their assigned roles would be once they finish their time in the school.

They all got their own roles.

"Ahh, it looks like we have an idea of what do now!" Antonio hummed.

Leon had decided to be the left hand, stating that as a fenghuang, he can see into the soul and see their characteristics. Xing stated that he'll be in charge of guarding the front gate in order to repel any evil that comes their way.

Albion nodded his head and gave them the mark on their shoulders. "I'll still be here though. Might as well get to know all of my life mates yes?"

They grinned and immediately surrounded him. "We all get to kiss you right?"

Albion smirked. "Only if you want to."

The bell rang and the world faded to black.

* * *

England can honestly say that's the first time he's been in a harem. Love triangle, yes, considering FBI Alfred and Russian Spy Ivan. But this is a first. Ah well, it's fun and harmless.

The moment the world came back, he's standing in front of the principal, the goddess of Education.

"Albion, word has reached me that you found your life mates?" She asked turning the chair to reveal Ukraine's counterpart.

Her name's Katyusha, from what he could recall what with her name and face popping up when he was with Gilbert at the time. Though, his mind told him her name was actually Kraina.

"I have, Kraina,"He replied. They're using their godly names anyway, so why not?

She sighed. "Always the troublemaker, Albion, I must say though. Congratulations on finding your life mates and may you and they be gifted with prosperity. Also, thank you for the added staff. We've been running low for a while."

The world faded to back to the bland room.

* * *

When England checked his shoulder, he found a gold leaf outline on it with lines to indicate it is in fact a leaf.

"And another one is done." He said out loud, he headed to the bed, tired.

He's getting more and more exhausted with each jump and each play. But he has to get back to his own friends as quickly as possible. He'll draw it later once he wakes up.

With that he fell onto his bed and drifted into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

* * *

 **Wow! This one is a lot longer than I thought it would be! Anyway, I had been planning to use that prompt for a while and with that request I thought it would be a good time as any to use it! Haha, harem king Iggy :P Anyway, this took a long time and I don't really have much of an excuse other than I procrastinated a bit and that my internet is slow. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed how it turned out, cookiesNcream1703! It was fun to write. I hope you all have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	15. Chapter 15: Tick Tock

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(Okay so, requests are closed seeing this is one of the final plays!)**

 **Note: The profile will be a bit different than in the actually game. This is basically just set in the HetaOni verse. (I'm going to take a lot of liberties with this cause it would be boring if you read the same thing okay!) Also, I don't have perfect memory, so expect dialogue to be essentially different.**

 **Double Note: The First Loop isn't too elaborated on which gives me a lot of room to work with!**

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Chapter 15: Tick Tock

* * *

England wakes up sobbing and crying with words at the tip of his tongue.

He's not sure who he was about to call out. He does remember…a piano. He's not sure what happened but he was in a room with a piano and he played it for a while then he was telling somebody to run. But for some reason, it always went back to the image of a clock with numbers on it.

He shook his head.

For now, he should collect himself and move on to the next play. Still, why does he feel something foreboding? Anyway, come to think of it he should draw the latest play before jumping. It would do to calm him down.

So he went to it, cleaning himself up and then working over his sketchbook, writing the names in order of how he'd met them. Then he drew Arthur _(that's not him, that's not him)_ in the center and the others surrounding him, all giving him their attention with smiles on their faces. Lars stood behind him his face looking gentler, Yao and Kiku stood side by side Yao holding his hand while Kiku latched onto his arm. They all surrounded him and he made sure to make it look cheerful and light hearted because that's all it had been.

He looked at his latest work, soaking up the finished product. He can't help but feel like this will be the last time he'll feel peaceful in a while.

"Scones, I feel as if something…horrible is going to happen but I'm not sure,"

He looked at the cat for reassurance. "Please, watch over this room for me,"

When he approached the poster, there was nothing on it.

"No."

He gazed at the changed surface of the poster instead it became a circle bordered by a small thin line of black.

It can't be gone. It can't be gone just like that. No, no, no, no, no! He refused to believe it's gone.

He has to escape, he has to escape. If he can't escape then what is it all for?! No. He can't just give up like that.

England reached out to touch it. The circle rippled and relief flooded through him as he pulled his hand back.

He laughed. "This is like the first time," How funny, perhaps this is the last? Yes it must be. Or perhaps the next play is based around this symbol? Quite unorthodox but he's been through weirder.

With a push he fell through the circle, a relieved smile on his face.

* * *

When he fell there wasn't any colour that blurred or the whistle of the wind. No, there was only the ticking of the clock that filled his ears as if reminding him of how long he must have been away from his friends.

When he landed he was standing in front of an old western styled mansion.

"It's really here!" Yao exclaimed.

'It' must be the mansion huh? Arthur's not sure what sort of situation he's been shoved into this time seeing as he can't simply take out the notebook but he's sure it has to be some mystery they have to solve. Haunted mansion? He frowned as he looked down to see his tattoos peeking out from the sleeves. He has his jewellery. They're a familiar weight he has long grown used to, though he can sense magic gathered around his tattoos. This meant that they either store magic or can be used in some sort of recreational way much like the wing tattoos and being able to become actual wings.

"The desolate feel gives it a rather nice touch, vous ne trouves pas?"

Arthur looked around to see, that the Allies and the Axis (or at least, their human counterparts) all here. This place… Why does it give him a feeling of dread? Why does he feel as if they are standing before the gates of hell itself?

"I don't think it's very interesting though."

He barely paid attention to the conversation. Instead he pulled out the notebook, as if checking his schedule. There has to be some sort of answers here, there's always something, a guide on how he must act, his age, his job, his name. It's not much but it's always a good start.

He flipped through the pages and all he found for his profile was this:

' _ **Name:**_ _Arthur Kirkland_

 _ **Age:**_ _23 years old_

 _ **Gender:**_ _Male_

 _ **Occupation:**_ _Representative of England_

 _ **Backstory:**_ _Arthur Kirkland is the representative of England in what can arguably be called the People's U.N. where they talk about common problems without the need for politics. He is with his fellow representatives that are currently investigating an old mansion with rumours of ghosts. (Note: Relationships are similar to that of yours with the rest of the countries.)_

 _ **Abilities:**_

 _-Magic_ _ **Unlocked**_

 _-Magic Sight (Able to sense anything supernatural)_

 _-Tattoos can be used. (Roses can increase sensing range, wings can become actual wings, and leaf can give power boost for a short amount of time.)_

 _-Charms on bracelet can be taken out to use as weapons. (Knife becomes a weapon, maple leaf becomes a sticky substance, target symbol can be used as a bomb and feather can be used to add wings onto objects in order to make the load easier to carry.)_

 _-Can summon Scones the cat for various purposes (can fight, guard or help cover ground) [will be dismissed when defeated or task is done]_

 _-Ring, necklace and earring stores magic for emergencies_

 _ **Current Loop:**_ _First Loop_

 _ **Items:**_ _[0]'_

Hmm, that's the first time it actually acknowledged the fact he's actually a country. But, why now? Is it because of this place? He can see that it's…horrible.

"Come on guys! Let's go!" Alfred grinned.

They entered the mansion. Arthur can't help but bite his lip, heart beating loudly as he passed through the doors. The entire presence of the mansion made him shudder. This- His eyes widened when he saw a large grey creature which is radiating an oppressive aura.

Needless to say, Feliciano screamed and ran, Kiku darted upstairs. He could care less to stay there and take note of the others. In fact, he's running as fast as he can. His feet carry him to a room upstairs on the second floor. He allowed himself to lock himself in a room with a closet.

"Oh no."

He realized that he should meet up with the others. According to the profile, he has the same relations as if he were a country right? This can be applied to everyone else, meaning that Feliciano has Ludwig to help him alongside Gilbert. Matthew and Alfred should stick together, same thing goes for Yao and Ivan. Francis might be alone then.

With a frown, he decided to summon Scones, the cat stretching and nudging at him as if knowing he's distressed. "Okay, Scones, I need you to watch my back while I go and look for Francis okay?"

The cat meowed and he smiled, bending down to pet it. "Do your best okay, Scones? Now, follow me."

He walked around hesitant and peeking around corners while Scones silently and vigilantly watched for danger. Soon, he found Francis hastily chatting with Yao and Ivan.

"Francis!" He yelled, catching up to them.

Francis looked at him, startled at the sound of his name. "Arthur? Is that you?"

Scones walked in front of him, scanning the people in front. Arthur happily joined them.

"And Scones, Scones will be able to look out for trouble," He replied, causing them to look at him funny.

Ivan was the first to comment on it, "I don't think I should feel better just because a cat is watching over me,"

"And how did that cat get in here in the first place?" Yao agreed, looking at him suspiciously.

Francis simply sighed, "I don't want to debate that right now. I've seen Scones in action once, in fact he is actually trained to deal with many things and is responsible for saving Arthur's life as well as mine many times from assassinations."

Yao and Ivan paled at this information.

Arthur simply chuckled. "See, no need to worry, now let's go find the rest. Hopefully we can meet up with Matthew and Alfred soon."

Yao nodded in agreement. "I want to find Kiku as fast as possible!"

With Scones helping them, they all continued to look around and they found Feliciano walking into a room with Gilbert and Ludwig inside a room with a fireplace. Arthur called the rest for their attention and lead to the room watching as Ludwig, Gilbert and Feliciano lost the tension they held. Arthur made sure to lock the door and bade Scones to watch over it while they talked.

"Ve~ I'm so glad to see you guys!" Feliciano cheered.

Arthur waved Scones to head to the three.

Ivan hummed as he scanned them, "All we need now is Alfred, Matthew and Kiku,"

Ludwig nodded his head, "We have to find them as fast as possible."

"Should we split up?" Yao asked. "We'll be able to cover more ground than previously."

Arthur hummed. "That would be best, though we should have a meeting place,"

"How about this room? I mean, it looks like the only one with a fire place," Feliciano pointed out.

"Yes, that can work." Ludwig agreed. "Very well, we'll all split up and return here to talk about our findings. If…if anyone runs into that…Thing the run as fast as you can until you can shake it off your trail,"

"Roger that!" Gilbert grinned.

Arthur looked at Scones and the cat meowed before following him. Feliciano followed alongside Ludwig, Gilbert stuck with Francis and Yao with Ivan.

He tried to tell himself they'll be alright, that this was nothing more than a simple ploy. Perhaps in the end, it's like-like Scooby Doo? He snorted at this, okay maybe he's going way too far with that comparison. He should focus on finding them. He took a deep breath, trying to think for a moment, so far the clock made no sense what-so-ever but well, a room with a piano. That might actually be a hint.

With that in mind, he allowed his feet to carry him to wherever that room is, Scones trotting behind him looking out for any signs of danger. He found himself in a room with a piano, the rest a stark white. He closed the door, mindful of making any noise and stood before it. His mind flashed to his dreams.

He…he played something on it. Perhaps he should jog his memory? Yes, that might help.

He then began to play, his mind drifting elsewhere. Hopefully, this would be the last play. He's getting…tired. He knows he is. So tired of seeing faces with the wrong names and a love he feels almost jealous off. Those aren't his friends and he isn't who he says he is. But he reminds himself, his name is England, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelands. He drinks tea, fights with France, cares for America and is friends with Japan. He can see ghosts and fairies and other such magical creatures. He gave America a unicorn which he takes care of.

He used to be a pirate and then a punk and now he's a gentleman. He fell into the hole- when? His fingers hesitated on the keys. He-he right, he fell into the hole after a world meeting. That was five, five days before the royal wedding. He took a deep breath. Yes, though he supposed he wouldn't be able to attend any more, would he? Then the door opened and Scones flung himself at the face of whoever was entering.

"Ah!"

That voice, he turned to see Alfred wrestling Scones while Matthew shoved him inside and closed the door.

"Scones," He called out, grabbing the attention of the vicious cat. "He's the one we're looking for."

The cat dropped down immediately granting Alfred some space to breath. "Ah, that's much better! Thanks Artie, I didn't realize you had your demon cat around,"

"Alfred, Matthew, we were looking for you two! Have you seen Kiku?" Arthur asked moving closer to them.

Matthew shook his head while Scones narrowed its eyes at Alfred before dismissing itself. "Nope, we haven't seen Kiku anywhere. Anyway, do you and the others have a meeting spot?"

"The room with the fireplace, come on," Arthur led the way. Silently, he cursed. The aura of this place is stifling! He can barely even use his magic to check the surrounding area for that Thing. At most, he has a radius of twenty meters, compared to his previous hundred meters maximum, it isn't much. He might as well use his tattoo, the rose ones should be able to increase his range. He pumped some magic into it, allowing his sight to go from the twenty to thirty, as he pumped more he managed to get it up to fifty. Alright, that should work. He stopped pumping magic. He didn't sense anything off right now beyond the usual oppressive aura of this bloody mansion.

Then he stopped. Something's wrong, something's wrong…but what? His eyes scanned around, looking everywhere for whatever is wrong when Alfred screamed. The Thing was right behind them. Arthur readied a magic circle. He's not sure he can trust himself to wield the knife and he's not eager to test the charms, despite knowing what they do.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Alfred pulled out his gun and began to shoot. Matthew scowled as he flanked Alfred.

"Don't go and be the hero unless you want to be killed, Al!" He took out his own weapon, a flashy bow that he notched.

Arthur frowned and used his magic to swirl around them in an effort to make them better protected. He then used some off his magic to blast the Thing further away. Alfred shot his gun, the bullet managing to hit it somewhere on its shoulder. However, there wasn't any bullet hole. No, it simply bounced off like it was rubber.

"What the-!" Alfred bit back the rest of the sentence instead he watched as Matthew shot his bow, his target: the eyes.

The Thing reached up to grab it, stopping it from hitting. It slowly moved it down, away from its face. It clenched its fist, the sound of the arrow snapping in half causing them to stiffen.

"No…" Matthew mumbled, "That's-"

Arthur cursed when it moved to attack, becoming faster than it was previously in order to strike. He saw where it was attacking and ran to push Alfred aside, taking the hit for him. His arm is throbbing but he pushed it back for later. Scowling, Arthur used his magic to keep the Thing back. However, he was a second too late as it had already hurt Matthew, who had been using himself to keep Alfred behind them, his bow notched with another arrow.

Matthew shot the arrow, this time it hit its mark. The Thing howled at them. "yOu wIlL NoT esCaPE…"

He can't afford to have all three of them injured. And so, Arthur turned around, "Alfred, snap out of it! We have to run while it's still down!" He flared his magic, aiming to make it slower than before. Once he knew it hit its mark, he turned around to run with Alfred and Matthew.

They ran, Arthur staying at the back as he kept an eye on the Thing. He's going to need to preserve his magic for now. When they reached the room, he pushed them in and closed the door himself, locking it. As soon as he dropped on the bed, he winced as the pain came back.

"The others should be back soon," Arthur said, removing his jacket to check on the injury.

Alfred hands couldn't stop shaking as he watched his two friends patch themselves up, dressing their wounds with some of the bottom of the curtains. He…he wasn't able to do anything. He was too startled by the fact that bullets didn't work, too focused on trying to be the hero and failing that in the end two of his friends got hurt. It's his fault in the end…that they got hurt, he didn't move fast enough in time and the two of them took the brunt of the damage. When the door knob was being fiddled with, everyone was on edge.

"Open up the door, aru! Everyone's already waiting outside!"

Arthur relaxed. It's Yao and the rest huh? Alfred stood up and got the door, the rest of the gang flooding in. Now, Arthur knew that the only one missing is Kiku.

"Okay, Arthur, you report first," Ludwig assigned, his eyes scanning their injuries.

Arthur took a deep breath. "I searched for them and entered a room with a piano. I stayed there for a while, examining the room and such for any clues when Matthew and Alfred entered the room. I was bringing them to the meeting place when we encountered that Thing. Alfred shot it with his gun but it wasn't as effective as he had hoped. I came in to follow up the attack while Matthew shot it with his arrow. The arrow is as effective as the bullet was. The Thing then came at us and I was injured. I attacked it. It managed to injure Matthew. I used my magic to slow it down enough and we all ran to safety."

From the corner of his eyes, he can see Alfred clenching his fists.

"I see… I'm glad you at least made it out alive." Ludwig nodded his head.

Yao sighed, "Aiyaa, we weren't able to find anything. Not even Kiku!"

"At least we got to scout the area, da?" Ivan smiled.

"Speaking of the area, the front doors are locked!" Feliciano piped up, "You see, Ludwig and I decided to see if we could get out but the doors wouldn't budge at all!"

"Sacre bleu!" Francis exclaimed, "You mean we're stuck with-with that Thing?"

"Well that settles it! We have to find a way out!" Alfred struck a pose, grinning like usual.

Ludwig sighed but nodded his head. "Ja, that would be the best course of action,"

Arthur licked his lips, they're stuck in a mansion, with one of them missing and two of them hurt.

"Someone should guard the door." Gilbert butted in, "We should tend to the injured before we can try anything."

Arthur nodded his head. "I'm sure we can all use a short rest."

Francis waved his hand a bit to get their attention, "Let Big Brother handle this,"

Gilbert grinned, "Alright, good luck Francey-pants!"

They all began to rest, Arthur staying awake with Francis, the pain aching and keeping him awake. So far, he's not even going to try summoning Scones in order to preserve his magic. After all, it is focusing on healing him as fast as it can, if he uses it it'll only slow down the healing process.

"Arthur-" Worried blue eyes that couldn't stop looking at his bandaged arm.

He turned his head away. "I'm _fine_ ,"

With his jacket off in order for him to dress his wounds, his arms are bare to the world. This included his tattoos, specifically the flower tattoos, with the leaf one still hidden under his shirt sleeve. His mind drifted to the time he's seen Francis in so many plays. As a friend, a bully, a soul mate…It's odd, how he's seeing Francis but not France, that even if they share the same voice, the same nationality, the same face, the same everything Francis is still different from France.

"Look, Francis. I'll be alright, okay?"

Francis sighed but let it go. "I know, it's just…I haven't seen you this bad since the time you got a cold."

"Ah, you haven't seen me at my worst yet," Arthur chuckled. He pressed a hand to the wound. It should be less of an open wound and more of a bruise now, he thought. He carefully unwrapped the wound, the ripped strips of cloth fell to the ground revealing dark purple bruises. He was right to have saved his magic. The wound should heal cleanly in a few hours now.

Francis lifted a hand before hesitating and putting it down. "Arthur, you should rest now. Don't worry," He smiled confidently, "Big Brother Francis will take care of everything."

It sounded so ridiculous, so absurd and yet it reassured him more than he would ever admit.

"Alright, goodnight you bloody frog."

A soft laugh, the faint sound of 'ohonhonhon', such a familiar and infuriatingly comforting as Francis replied back, "Goodnight, Tea drinker."

The next time they woke up, Francis was nursing a wound of his own and Yao held his weapon-a wok-as tightly as he could as if it was their last line of defence.

Feliciano frowned, taking out his white flag to have Francis use as bandages. "Here you go, Big Brother Francis! My white flag should be better than curtain cloth! It's definitely less itchy too!"

Ludwig examined their less than ideal conditions. "What happened last night?"

Yao relaxed visibly, lowering his wok, he said. "The door was locked and the Thing tried to enter, Francis woke me up and we decided to chase it away. It managed to get a hit in but we chased it away before it could do anything else."

Francis gratefully took the ripped part of the white flag, redressing his wounds and reassuring Feliciano he'll be okay.

"Okay, for today, we'll have to leave some people to guard the injured. The rest can go and look for ways to escape this place." Ludwig said.

"I'll be staying behind." Yao sighed, slumping against the wall.

Feliciano raised a hand. "Ve~ I'll be going out then, I'm really good at running away!"

"Which means I'll be coming along," Ludwig realized.

Gilbert smirked, "Kesesese, if West is going out then so will I! I'll be totally awesome, you know?"

"Someone has to protect them. It would be nice to stay with you all," Ivan volunteered, his _lovely_ pipe shining in a semi-threatening way.

Arthur checked the bruise, relieved to see that it had faded overnight. "I'm going with you."

"If you're going, I'm going, Artie!" Alfred exclaimed. Arthur looked at him but in the end simply kept his mouth shut. Its better if Alfred helps actively, he knows that Alfred would have a chip on his shoulder about him not being able to help in the fight more.

"Okay, we're all set then, let's go." They exited, but not before Arthur summoned Scones to help Ivan in looking after them.

* * *

Arthur cursed under his breath. The Thing is still on their tail! He had already used up much of his magic and at this rate he'll have to activate the leaf tattoo! Close by to him is a scowling Alfred, who is shooting as much bullets at the thing, each bullet being slightly more successful than the last now that he knew where the soft spots were. So far, Ludwig, Gilbert and Feliciano are at the front with him and Alfred taking the tail.

Gilbert had taken a hit somewhere on the leg when he was executing an axe kick, Ludwig might have gotten a scrape or two while they were running and Alfred could have a bruise somewhere on his shoulder when he was slammed in the wall.

All in all, it is not a good day for everyone.

If anything, Feliciano might be the only one uninjured due to his fast running speed. Something which Arthur figured is only natural what with Italy being incredibly swift in terms of running away. Perhaps, it's time to try one of the charms? Mind made up and desperate with how fast that Thing is catch up, he grabbed the maple leaf charm and took it off watching as it became a real life maple leaf. He threw it on the ground behind him and watched as it grew larger and larger while turning into maple syrup. It somehow managed to maintain the maple leaf shape. He didn't spare it any thought as another maple leaf shimmered into existence on his bracelet. The Thing had stepped on the syrup. It's going to be stuck there for a while.

"Nice job, Artie! Why didn't you do that earlier?" Alfred asked, keeping his gun and running with the rest of them back to the fireplace room.

"Look, I never really use them unless I'm out of magic! The charms are an emergency for if I'm low on magic or in emergencies because of the enchantments I placed on it!" Arthur hissed back, locking the door.

"How many of you are injured this time?" Yao asked, scanning them.

"Gilbert has a leg wound, I have a bruise, Alfred has one too, I think. Arthur and Feliciano are the only ones uninjured." Ludwig recounted, taking his place by the fire.

Ivan hummed, watching with interest as Feliciano held up his white flag to be used as bandages for Gilbert. "So it seems you weren't able to find much huh?"

"No, some doors are locked." Alfred frowned, "Though we did find this piece of paper,"

He gave it to them, two boxes made of green and blue. Odd…

The world faded to black and Arthur couldn't help but hope it would come back in a blink of an eye. He's desperate to get out of there with everyone but he's not sure how.

It came back to them in the piano room, all of them listening to the sound of the note coming from his phone. Feliciano's flag reduced to nothing but a stick now. He examined everyone, it seems like everyone has been injured at least once.

"So we all got a single note?" Feliciano hummed, "At least we're all one step closer to getting out!"

Matthew gathered all of the notes, he then put the pieces together and solved the puzzle, the papers matching to give way to a code of 5294. Arthur smiled slightly at this. Canada has always been smart.

"Now all we need to do is find the safe that needs the password!" Feliciano grinned, happy at the prospect of being one step closer to freedom.

His mouth moved before he could think, his mind flashing to a safe on the first floor. "There's a safe on the first floor I found," That must have been in between the fading and this huh? "It's locked and needs a four digit code to unlock it. This might actually be the code to unlock it."

"Oh, how coincidental!" Francis exclaimed, "Who knows, perhaps inside that is the key to the front door!"

"Like it's that easy," Yao scoffed, "But it is still something, so I'll give you that."

They all went down to the room with the tatami mats, heading to the place with the safe. Feliciano cheerfully used the code, watching with delight as it opened, revealing a shiny key inside. The side of the key is engraved with the words 'Basement'.

"Oh! It's the key to the basement," Feliciano exclaimed.

Their spirits have never been higher, Arthur thought, all of them have been injured and none of them haven't truly done much. However, the moment they all exited the room, Arthur could sense it.

"Feliciano-!" He yelled. Ludwig turned around, his face growing paler by the minute as he snatches Feliciano from the clutches of the Thing.

"yOu wILl nOt EsCaPE…."

Arthur winced at the garbled voice, the words coming out painfully. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard, coarse, rough and downright harsh.

"Like hell we won't! Suck ball!" Yao yelled as he leapt in to be the back.

Arthur cursed, "Yao, your injuries-"

"To hell with my injuries, we made a new breach! There's no way in hell I will let us die here!" His wok shined in the light as he moved with astounding vigour.

"Then let Big Brother help you!" Francis joined the fray, his hair flowing as he brought out his sword.

Ivan laughed loudly, his grin still slightly unsettling. "How nice, we're all fighting together! You guys go ahead to the room, we'll catch up!"

Feliciano's eyes grew wide, as they ran to the room, Ludwig and Gilbert leading the way as Alfred gripped his pistol tightly. They still haven't found Kiku yet, Arthur thought. They entered the door and Arthur summoned Scones. What? Why is his magic so hampered? Is it something to do with that Thing or the aura of the place?

Still, he commanded Scones to go and accompany the trio that they've left.

"Are-Are Big Brother Francis and the others…Do you think they're going to be okay?" Feliciano asked softly.

"I don't know, Feliciano," Ludwig replied, allowing Feliciano to hug him tightly.

"We, we should find out where the basement door is." Gilbert said, his eyes shining with a weary tiredness that can only come from these events.

He closed his eyes, not saying much as he allowed his mind to roam. It began giving him flashbacks of what had happened between the times he was 'away'. It flashed to all sorts of things.

* * *

" _Wah! Hey, you-" "Honestly, you don't have to be so high strung, Arthur. This isn't a meeting anymore."_

 _Arthur looked away blushing, "It's just- I don't want to get too attached."_

" _Oh, but you already are. Don't think I haven't seen the way to treat everyone. You act…almost like you know them all personally. You give them the things you know they will like, treat them all with equal amount of care. I might go as far as to say that you act caring." He whirled around to look Francis in the eye._

 _Arthur licked his lips. "Fine, you want the truth? I'll give you the truth. I fell in love, long ago. They-they remind me so much of them before- before they…they went away."_

 _Blue eyes looking at him with sympathy, understanding what he meant, even if it's a different interpretation, "I see. It's alright to fall again, you know. I'm sure you noticed how much you're slipping in your acts anyway. Everyone knows you're pretending because you don't want to get hurt. In the end, you must simply accept this and enjoy it while you still can."_

 _Arthur crumpled against him, "I'm tired."_

" _I know. You've been running purely on that leaf tattoo of yours. I can still see it glowing. Rest for a while, I'll keep watch. Then we can meet up again with the others,"_

 _Darkness, a soft kiss on the forehead and the sound of bed sheets shuffling to accommodate him, he's asleep and the last thing he hears is a soft sigh._

" _Je t'aime."_

* * *

He opened his eyes to see him alone with Feliciano.

"Where are Ludwig, Gilbert, Alfred and Matthew?"

Feliciano startled, "Oh! You're awake! Well, they decided to go look for the basement and go help Big Brother Francis and the rest!"

He relaxed at this, "That's good to know. So we're the only ones waiting for them then?"

"Yup!" Feliciano grinned.

There's something off about that smile, the way it pinched tightly at the sides or the way it didn't quite reach his eyes. But, Arthur figured it has to do with the still missing Kiku.

"Feliciano?"

"Yes, what do you need?" His voice sounds strangely careful.

"Have you been able to find Kiku yet?"

A beat.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't able to find him yet." Feliciano's voice cracked, his eyes pooling with tears.

Oh. Arthur glanced at him, sensing the way his aura flared with distress and pain. "He's dead. Isn't he?"

"No!" He shouted, startling them both. "No, no, he's- he's simply hard to find. Es-especially in such a big mansion like this! So we haven't seen him yet-"

"Stop."

Arthur looked Feliciano in the eyes. He can tell he's trying so hard to keep the fact that Kiku died away from them in order to protect them. "Please, stop. You don't have to make an excuse Feliciano. I understand what you're trying to do."

Feliciano curled into himself, tears falling down his face, Arthur had seen Italy cry before but never has he seen Italy or a version of him looking so exhausted and pained. "I just don't want you guys to get hurt."

"Don't blame yourself for this, Feliciano."

Feliciano's body is shaking, Arthur felt oddly unattached but he still felt bad. Perhaps it's because he knows that in the end, this isn't his reality? Either way, he had to do something. So he moved to Feliciano, hugging him. After all, Feliciano had witnessed the death of a friend. He deserves it.

"I- I just want everyone to be happy."

Arthur smiled sadly, no matter what version of Italy it seems that he will always care about them.

"I know. I know. It's alright, breathe, Feli. Breathe,"

A breath, maybe five, Arthur doesn't count. He simply murmurs words that he remembers whispering long ago to a young America. He holds him gently and sways back and forth as Feliciano poured his heart out. He allows himself to be England for a moment, to simply be treating him like the colonies he's raised. He moves and hums and whispers words as Feliciano slows down his words and sobs, his breathing slowing down from the panicked pace it once was.

"You're doing a good job, Feli. You've been brave for all of us,"

Why does his mind give him another memory from the in between now of all times?

* * *

" _Arthur? Are you okay? I've noticed you spacing out a lot lately." Alfred asked him, concerned about this strange behaviour._

 _Arthur blinked back to reality, "Huh, oh I'm alright, Alfred. It's just…we've been searching for clues for a long while now."_

" _Haha, does an old man like you need to rest?" Alfred joked, though Arthur can tell it's only to hide his worry, no matter how badly._

 _Arthur sighed. "I'm fine, Alfred."_

 _Arms moved to hold him, hugging him tightly. "Arthur, you aren't fine. I can tell."_

" _Let go of me, Alfred! We have to keep moving, we have to go back to the others before that-that Thing gets to them first. We have to find-"_

" _You can't help others if you can't help yourself Arthur! You said before yourself! You have to rest for once, if you don't then how can you help out when the time comes?"_

 _Arthur flinched, his eyes downcast as Alfred looked at him sternly._

" _Since when did you become so smart, Alfred?"_

 _Alfred relaxed, moving to set Arthur on the bed. "I'll keep watch. Here, I have some food, I know it isn't much but take it and eat it. You'll need your strength."_

" _But what about-" "The others can take care of themselves. Jeez, I know old people are supposed to worry about stuff but I didn't expect you to be_ _ **this**_ _worried. Come on, they have Ludwig with them, they'll be fine."_

 _Arthur relaxed slowly, taking the large burger from Alfred. "Alright, I'll rest. But only if you will too!"_

 _Alfred grinned at him, "Hahaha! That's more like the Arthur I know!"_

* * *

"Thank you…you, Arthur. I- Thank you,"

Arthur smiled at Feliciano. "Feeling better?"

Feliciano couldn't speak, nodding his head as he wiped away the tears. "I feel so much better, now. Arthur, you're such a nice person!"

Arthur simply smiled at Feliciano, patting his head. "Thank you, though you're a much better person than I."

Before Feliciano could speak, the door flew open with Alfred and Matthew helping up Yao and Ivan, Francis in the middle, relying on the two for help.

"Francis-!" Feliciano yelped, taking in the sight before him, bloodied clothes and pale faces as they set the three down on the carpet beside the fireplace.

"Go, we held it off for as long as we could," Francis smiled.

Alfred clenched his fist looking away.

"Hey, American! Do as we say or I'll censor your entire segment in the next meeting." Yao snapped, wincing as coughed up blood.

Feliciano held a hand over his mouth.

Arthur couldn't hear much, barely paying any mind to the fact that Alfred and Matthew left already. He moved to Francis.

"Oh? Arthur, you're being affectionate?"

"Shh, don't say a word you stupid Frenchman. I heard you when you told me to rest." It's so painful and strange. Francis looks, sounds and acts exactly as France does, he's even wearing the same clothes that France wears normally. All blue and red, it's so bloody hard to separate them when the only thing different are their names.

"Wh- what do you mean?"

Arthur leaned forward, the scent of blood invading his senses. "I heard your confession. I'm here to tell you that I love you too. You deserve that much on your death bed."

"Hah. Always so damn, pessimistic. Give me a goodbye kiss,"

Arthur smiled, even when he's dying he's still being smart. "Okay,"

He leaned down to kiss him, lips brushing up against each other, soft and gentle, and Francis pushed back, the kiss turning slightly desperate until his lips went slack.

"No, you damn frog! What are you doing, now's not the time for one of your jokes-"

Yao narrowed his eyes. "He's dead, just do as he says or you _both_ will end up dead." Harsh, but true, Arthur acknowledged. He can grieve later. For now, he has to get out.

"Right."

He ran outside, leaving Feliciano alone in the room. He caught up to Alfred and Matthew. He knew by now that Scones must have dismissed himself because of the fight. With that in mind, he had to make sure Alfred and Matthew are alright. He can't bear for the two to die like Francis had.

"Alfred, Matthew, are you two alright?" He asked them, scanning for any sorts of injuries.

Matthew shook his head, "We're good, nothing bad besides a few scratches. Most of the blood…it's not ours."

"I see," Arthur replied, relieved by this. "Come on, let's go meet up with the rest to discuss the basement."

"Right," Alfred replied the three of them heading to where the rest are, in a simple none descript room with bookshelves and two beds.

"We found the basement door."

It was a short statement, clean and simple, as if it came out of an English textbook. Such a simple statement brought hope with it, after all. This is the reason Yao, Ivan and Francis died. This is the new breach that Yao, Francis and Ivan were ready to defend.

So why does he feel so hurt?

"Ja, it's open now." Gilbert looked like he had when Arthur had to watch the fall of Prussia.

"We'll have to check it out once we're all rested. I'm sure Feliciano is tired." Ludwig looked at the shaking Feliciano.

"I'll take watch." Arthur volunteered, causing them all to look at him. He's pretty sure he looks terrible, as if he had crawled through a swamp and ran away from hell hounds.

Alfred was about to say something but Matthew simply sighed and nodded his head. "Alright, I trust you on this. Please be careful, Arthur."

Soon they were all sleeping, while he stood watch.

A short while later, when he was sure everyone is deep into sleep, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Go and rest, Arthur. I can take over from here."

He blinked, slowly looking up to see Ludwig. "Are you-"

"-Yes I'm sure. Now go sleep or I'll force you to run laps in the mansion." Arthur smiled at his attempt at a joke, no matter how serious it sounds.

"Alright. Just make sure to watch over Feliciano for a while. I'm worried the lad might have nightmares," He replied patting Ludwig on the shoulder before heading to sleep next to Alfred.

* * *

" _It's alright, you can go."_

" _What?"_

" _I'll stay here with them."_

" _But- But Alfred!"_

" _They're precious to me, Italy. I don't want to leave their side."_

" _America!"_

" _Go. I'll be fine here, Arthur and Matthew deserve to have someone at their side."_

 _Why can't he see anything? Oh, is he- is he dead?_

 _The world shifted, changing to something else, a room in dark grey. The only ones in there are Ludwig and Gilbert sitting side by side, Feliciano standing before them with tears in his eyes._

" _Ten laps…"_

" _I don't care if I have to run ten laps! I don't want to leave you!"_

" _Go, little Feli or else he'll add even more."_

" _I don't care!"_

 _Arthur's not sure why he's even seeing this. Why? Is this a vision? Is it a nightmare? He turned away as he listened to Feliciano run, clutching something in his hands as if it was a life line._

" _I'm tired, West…"_

" _It would be nice to…rest…"_

 _He couldn't hear anything beyond that._

* * *

"Arthur! Hey, wake up dude!"

His eyes flew up and he bolted up from the bed. "I'm awake, I'm awake."

"We'll be checking out the basement today." Matthew told him gently, helping him up from his place on the carpet.

"I see," They better get going then. His magic managed to make a recovery but he won't be able to summon Scones for a while seeing as Scones is still recovering.

He should use the knife charm. It would be good to have a sharp weapon on him besides his magic.

"Are we all ready to go?" Ludwig asked.

Gilbert grinned, laughing confidently. "Of course we are,"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Alfred opened the door, allowing them all to head to the basement.

They followed Ludwig's lead; making sure to watch out for any sort of sign that Thing is following them. He held the knife charm, ready to take it out at any moment, when they reached the doors of the basement he finally took it off the bracelet. The knife grew larger, until it's big enough for his hand to sit perfectly on the handle. Alfred saw his caution and took out his gun, Matthew notching his bow and drawing back the string, ready for any confrontation. Feliciano looked around, clutching his flag pole tightly, ready to smack it at the first sign of that Thing. Gilbert held his sword in one hand while Ludwig held his whip. All of them are wary and cautious as they entered the basement. Arthur made sure to be silent when he's closing the door behind them.

They explored the area, passing by a box inside an area with bars. They decided not to split up in order for them to be able to fight that Thing without worry. All six of them passed by multiple areas, each one coloured in a dreary cobblestone grey. They continued wandering around until they happened upon an exit. They found a rope ladder leading up where the sunlight filtered in, bright and calm as if they weren't stuck in this place at all.

"It's an exit!"

Their spirits rose with the thought of an exit. Finally, they could be free from this place.

Then that Thing appeared out of nowhere, the ropes burning with its appearance.

"No." Arthur mumbled watching as flames ate the ropes greedily. Alfred shot the Thing.

"We have to run!" Feliciano yelled, "We need to look for another exit!"

His mind snapped back from the denial he's experiencing, bringing himself back to the reality of the situation.

"Alfred, go!" He shouted, pulling Alfred from his place as he shot at the Thing.

Alfred scowled, brushing off his hand. "I can't!"

"Damn it Alfred, now's not the time for one of your hero stunts!" He shouted, grabbing Alfred by the arm.

"You don't understand, Arthur! I _have_ to be the hero! If I'm not then everyone's gonna die and then what?!" Alfred snarled, reloading his gun.

Arthur bit back the urge to scream instead moving to shove him to the rest while he was distracted.

"Go and run you stubborn idiot!" He said, running alongside him.

"Bu-" "Run, Alfred! Don't argue now of all times," Matthew cut him off, shooting an arrow at the Thing's direction.

They ran as fast as they could, until they were all stuck in a room however, it came in through the door behind Arthur, causing him to curse. He forgot to lock the door!

"yOu WilL nOT esCaPE…"

That voice again, Arthur shuddered as he readied his knife.

"You guys run! I'll hold it off!"

"Not a chance, Arthur! I'm joining you!" Matthew leapt in alongside him.

Arthur looked back to Alfred. "Protect them!"

"No! I'm not leaving you alone like this!" Alfred argued.

Arthur dodged a swipe at him, slicing at the arms of that thing. "Don't argue with me while I'm fighting!"

He used his magic to slice at it as he used his knife to block an attack, Matthew shooting multiple arrows at a time.

Arthur cursed when he realized that Alfred hasn't left yet instead, he stood to guard the door that Feliciano and the German brothers went through. He was so preoccupied with Alfred that he was hit by the claws of their enemy. He did a mental check on his magic stores, forty-five percent.

Arthur scowled at this but continued to use his magic. "Take this! _Sectumsempra!_ "

"Feel the true spirit of maple!"

The fighting continued, Alfred knew he could join in on the fight with his gun in case he accidentally shoots one of them.

Arthur knew he's gaining plenty of wounds but he also knew they were close to driving it away. He took out of the charms on the bracelet-the target one- and allowed it to grow to the size of a Frisbee. He then threw it at the Thing and watched as it blinked red for a few moments before exploding on it, causing the ground to shake.

"We have to get out while we still can!" Arthur shouted over the noise. "I'll use my magic to hold it back long enough for us to run!" Thirty percent... Arthur thought.

"Got it!" Alfred nodded his head, opening the door.

"Get ready in three…two…one!"

He used as much magic as he could, drawing on the magic stored in his jewellery to give him an extra power boost. The Thing slowed, trapped by a large magic circle that glowed a dark purple. "Now!"

They ran through the doors and into the hallways where they are met by Gilbert, Ludwig and Feliciano. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, they all ran to the room where they had recovered in the previous night. They locked the door. Arthur laying down on a bed, an injured Matthew (when did he get injured? He hadn't been paying much attention has he?) taking the one beside him. As the adrenaline faded, he knew that he's too late to stay alive, the wounds and his other wounds all combined to drain him of his blood, his magic is nineteen percent or lower now, not enough to heal all his wounds.

"Next time, listen to what I have to say you bloody wanker." He said weakly.

"Artie-" "Don't 'Artie' me, listen to my death bed rant okay?"

Alfred fell silent after that, Feliciano watching this with broken brown eyes. On the other side, Matthew spoke with Gilbert, leaving Ludwig to comfort Feliciano.

"You were like the brother I never had, Alfred. Stubborn and ready to banter with me and yet always ready to defend me. I'm sure Matthew thinks the same of you. Now, I want you all to escape and spread the word that Arthur B. Kirkland is the reason why you all are still alive." He grinned at them all, cocky and unabashed by his last words.

He could feel himself slipping, and he was too tired to care at this point. He found that his chest felt too heavy and his hands were getting cold. He knew he was going to die.

He closed his eyes and passed into the darkness.

* * *

The moment he woke up he was in the room again, however, there wasn't any sort of item to remind him of what had happened but instead a bloodied number stamped on the now circular poster. The number one stood out against the white background of the poster, a reminder of his death.

"I died."

He said it out loud with a flat voice. He can't believe it. He had died in the play. He died trying to save Alfred. His eyes wandered over to the sketchbook. Should he even draw it? Perhaps he should, if only to get the image out of his head. Francis, Yao and Ivan laid out in a row, side-by-side as they all fell into the dark embrace of death. Feliciano crying over what had happened, Ludwig comforting Feliciano as much as he could as he lay, dying in bed.

Alfred wielding his gun, desperate to keep them all safe, wanting to be the hero in order to keep them alive, Matthew in his pure determination to take it down with his arrows. He can remember it clearly. He remembers it as clearly as he can recall the way his blood pumped and his magic reaching the lowest it has ever been.

He licked his lips.

In a way, this room was like that mansion, in escapable and having him go through various situations in order to get out.

"I should sleep for real this time." He mumbled turning to his side, "Isn't that right, Scones?"

Nothing, as always there is no reply.

"My name is England. My name is England. That's wasn't them, that wasn't them. They're humans with the same face, yes but it's not them." He mumbled, trying to banish the images from his head. That wasn't France, that wasn't China or Russia or America. No that was Francis, Yao, Ivan and Alfred.

He soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep, too tired to even look back at where they might have gone wrong.

* * *

 **Done! That's right, I'm doing a HetaOni one, brace yourselves cause this is only the beginning! Also, sorry for the late update but I had writer's block and then me and my family went on a vacation. I'm currently preparing for school which is going to be in like two weeks or something. So I'm trying to finish this before school can crash in and make me busy! Anyway, poor England had to deal with the first time loop tragedies. The next chapter is hopefully not going to take as long as this one did! (I need to finish watching that game play so that I can figure out what to do for that loop! :P I'm happy to say that this is longer than the last chapter which is awesome!)**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, have a good day! (Or night!)**


	16. Chapter 16: Time Is Running but So Am I

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(Okay so, requests are closed seeing this is one of the final plays!)**

 **Note: The profile will be a bit different than in the actually game. This is basically just set in the HetaOni verse. (I'm going to take a lot of liberties with this cause it would be boring if you read the same thing okay!) Also, I don't have perfect memory, so expect dialogue to be essentially different.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Time Is Running but So Am I

* * *

 _One for Sorrow…_

* * *

England spent the next few days drawing as much as he could in an effort to vent. When he got sick of seeing so much as another sketch, he would vent through the violin, his mind whirling and turning with those images so freshly etched into his mind. It would make sense for him; after all while he has seen war and death, he has never seen countries looking completely mortal. Not even if those were the human counterparts.

Though, he will admit, he sometimes called out the wrong name, calling 'Alfred' America in his nightmares or Francis 'France'. He needs to remind himself they're different. That that's not who they are, that France and America and Canada are all alive and thriving back where home is.

Home…yes, it's been so long since he has so much as seen the London Eye or heard the sound of the Big Ben. He misses the sound of people, the background noise of the streets. The cloudy weather, the scent of tea, he misses it so much. It's like an ache in the chest, missing a limb. He began calling the poster a clock. It fits much better than calling it a poster when it isn't one anymore.

England glanced at his open sketch book, he's finished what he wished to be his last sketch of that play, the image of Alfred holding on to him with Matthew beside him. He drew it as steadily as he could, concentrating and giving it as much emotion as possible. The end result resembled the live thing, Alfred's face, the corners of his eyes tightened as he listened, the unshed tears that threatened to spill. He made sure to emphasize Matthew's still body as Gilbert held onto his hand tightly. The scene itself is drawn in a bird's eye view, in order to show both Matthew and he on the beds.

"I should get going. It's best if I go back home as soon as possible." He patted the plush cat on the head and barely spared a glance for the little bird figurine.

He didn't let himself linger at the front of the clock, didn't want to see the bloodied number one staring back at him, almost condemningly.

Instead, he pushed and fell, rushing to get back home.

* * *

 _Two for Mirth…_

* * *

' _ **Name:**_ _Arthur Kirkland_

 _ **Age:**_ _23 years old_

 _ **Gender:**_ _Male_

 _ **Occupation:**_ _Representative of England_

 _ **Backstory:**_ _Arthur Kirkland is the representative of England in what can arguably be called the People's U.N. where they talk about common problems without the need for politics. He is with his fellow representatives that are currently investigating an old mansion with rumours of ghosts. (Note: Relationships are similar to that of yours with the rest of the countries.)_

 _ **Abilities:**_

 _-Magic_ _ **Unlocked**_

 _-Magic Sight (Able to sense anything supernatural)_

 _-Tattoos can be used. (Roses can increase sensing range, wings can become actual wings, and leaf can give power boost for a short amount of time.)_

 _-Charms on bracelet can be taken out to use as weapons. (Knife becomes a weapon, maple leaf becomes a sticky substance, target symbol can be used as a bomb and feather can be used to add wings onto objects in order to make the load easier to carry.)_

 _-Can summon Scones the cat for various purposes (can fight, guard or help cover ground) [will be dismissed when defeated or task is done]_

 _-Ring, necklace and earring stores magic for emergencies_

 _ **Current Loop:**_ _Second Loop_

 _ **Items:**_ _[0]'_

Same as the first one, Arthur noted, as if this was some sort of Groundhog Day.

"Hey, Artie!" Alfred exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm, "Stop looking at your planner and let's go! At this rate, we'll be the last ones to get inside!"

Arthur chuckled uneasily. The mansion, can he perhaps, stop them from entering the mansion?

"Come on, Art, they're already inside!"

Arthur sighed, keeping the notebook. It looks like he'll simply have to keep doing what he can to keep them all alive.

When he entered the mansion with Alfred, he raised an eyebrow when Feliciano tried to convince them to get out. Odd, it must be a change in the play then, like a parody or some such.

"Please! Let's get out of here before we all die! Kiku, don't go to the room with the piano." Feliciano begged. His eyes tearing up as the other's simply dismissed him.

Arthur hummed. Perhaps he should help give some back up to Feliciano? Yes, it might be their key to getting out. "Let's wrap it up here and get going already. I'd rather not waste my time."

"Yes, see! Arthur agrees with me! Let's get outta here!" Feliciano leapt on the chance

The door shut itself closed.

Feliciano cried out. "No, no! Please!"

"What?" Ludwig mumbled taking to keeping Feliciano behind him.

Nothing.

The only thing that happened was the sound of their breaths.

"Hahaha!" Alfred exploded into relieved laughter. "Wow, Feliciano! You sure got us good. We were all scared for a second,"

The rest all began relaxing, Gilbert going up to pat Feliciano on the back. "Come on, let's go check out this old place!"

Arthur walked on his own, looking for that thing, perhaps, he could use the charms to blow it up? Or maybe he could just blow a hole in the wall. Actually… That's a good idea. But first, he wants to make sure they won't ever have encountered that thing which means calling its attention.

But how? He can't just run up and down the stairs yelling 'Eat me!' like some suicidal maniac…can he?

Arthur sighed, perhaps he should simply wait for it? Yes, that would be better than trying to attract its attention through poorly thought out decisions. With a wave of a hand, he summoned Scones to help him. Feliciano should be around Ludwig as usual which means that he would be the best when it comes to this. Then he heard screams. He ran as fast as he could, finding the Thing there fighting with everyone but him. He watched as it made a swipe for Francis.

"Oh no you don't!-" He growled, his magic sparking into existence. " _Bombarda Maxima!"_

His magic blasted the Thing into oblivion, causing the rest to look at him. Francis smiled at him as he moved in closer to slice at exposed limbs.

Feliciano's bible glowed for a moment, and he felt lighter, as if under the effects of his leaf tattoo. Interesting, why didn't Feliciano do that the last time he was there? Well, no matter. Arthur blasted it once more, his mind wandering slightly to the charms. Last time, he had said that the charms only work if he's low on magic or on emergencies so perhaps he can tweak the enchantments into working whenever he simply needs to them to work.

The sound of Alfred's gun shots took him out of his casting reverie.

Right, now's not the time. He should focus on getting everyone alive and safe at this rate.

In the end, he can proudly say this time he lasted for three days, with all of them alive and his charms better tweaked. The charms now work less on the direness of a situation and more on when he wants to use them, having lifted the restrictive enchantment from its place.

They were all in the room in the basement, this time Arthur's happy to say they're all in one piece. He made a point to lock the door behind him. No one's dying because of him this time.

Then the Thing came in the door behind Feliciano and he's the one that dies.

It's a blur this time, he's not sure what happened beyond the flurry of pain and such when Feliciano smiled at them as if asking _them_ for forgiveness instead of the other way around.

His magic exploded with his distress.

He woke up in his bed and reaching out for nothing. The clock adding the number two, uncaring of his pain as he stood up, sore and tired all the while his mind reeling at the fact Feliciano was the first to die.

* * *

 _Three for a Funeral…_

* * *

Arthur stared at the pages, the words: ' _Magic_ _ **Locked (Only 10% Unlocked)**_ _'_ telling him his magic is locked with only a small portion of it remaining.

He spent this loop comforting everyone and trying his best to figure out how to use the charms as if it was second nature. The knife becoming his most favoured weapon alongside his magic. The wing tattoo also came in handy as he danced around the limbs and went in to strike, working in tandem with the others. He barely talked to Francis, Matthew or well, the others. His mind was still reeling with the images of their corpses.

The next time they faced the monster, he watched as he was too far to do anything to stop it from hitting Alfred, using up all his magic to protect him from the claws of the Thing.

He became blind not shortly after, falling onto the ground and relying on his magic sight instead, the word now in monochrome colours. He can't see things in detail anymore, can't see the face of Alfred when he went to check on him, lifting up his fingers when he noticed how his green eyes seem muted.

All he could do to make Alfred feel better is to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Alfred. But, I can't see anymore."

Alfred couldn't stop himself from crying, from screaming, from begging. All Arthur could do is keep apologizing even as he was being led away to the meeting place.

In the end, he died shoving Feliciano to the side from being caught by that thing, acting faster than Alfred had, Ludwig being too far away to try anything.

* * *

 _Four for Birth…_

* * *

When he leapt in, he knew his magic would be locked this time, managing to find some behind a cabinet in the room with the piano. Odd, for it to be sealed but he'll have to make do with this for now.

He made sure to speak with Feliciano, telling him things will be alright. He made a point to speak to Matthew, afraid that the last time he'll see him is on a bed and covered in blood. With Francis, he made sure to see if Francis liked him in this play as well. He grew closer once more to Francis when they were stuck in a room and separated from the others.

"Arthur, why is it that whenever you look at me, you look as if you're about to break?"

Arthur couldn't reply, not without saying much. Instead he says, "I'm simply afraid to see you…hurt, I don't want to see you in pain."

Francis smiled at him, moving to hold him close. "We've seen each other at our best and our worst. It's nothing that you can't handle, I'm sure."

Arthur couldn't help but cry as Francis held him. He barely stopped when he was back in the room, rushing to go back and try once more, again and again. He didn't even give himself time to sleep, instead running up and all but shoving himself through the clock, ignoring the bloodied numbers counting one, two, three.

He allowed himself to cry, the cry over the fact he went blind, that he's practically useless.

"You aren't useless, Arthur. You're the farthest from useless,"

"But- Feliciano faring much better than I am and he's supposed to be the one crying and running away…"

"Sh, you're also brave, fighting with nothing but a knife and your wings. I doubt I could even do that, non?"

They stayed like that, holding onto each other, clinging in desperation. Soon, they drifted into sleep.

When Arthur woke up, there was the ominous presence of that Thing at their door.

"Francis-" "Not now, Arthur. We're stuck here like this until it leaves."

The knob stopped moving and he could feel the presence moving away. They stayed inside a little longer, waiting for it to move on.

They then hesitatingly, got out only for them to be ambushed.

"yOu wILl nOt EsCaPE…"

He died sacrificing himself in order for Francis to run back to the others. His final words to him being, "I've been through worse. Just go already. I'll catch up okay?"

He didn't catch up in the end, waking up to see white walls and another number on the clock.

* * *

 _Five for Heaven…_

* * *

"Art, you're running on that leaf thing! Go and take a break, dude!"

"I-I need to keep-"

"Alfred is right, go sleep. We can take over from here."

They're right. He's tired, so very, very tired. Tired of what? He's not sure. Perhaps it's because he keeps jumping without letting himself rest?

To put it shortly, Loop Five was his shortest run, by far. He only managed to survive for a single day and yet when he was investigating the piano room with Alfred, the Thing came and they were trapped. In the end he was forced to blow up the room, begging Alfred to run but to no avail. In a way, it's sort of a good thing, dying early that is. He won't have to see them injured, hurt and beaten as much as the other loops.

* * *

 _Six for Hell…_

* * *

This time he would make it. He would make it so that Alfred and Francis won't have to go through this, so that Matthew won't have to look Francis in the eye and say he died.

He even made it a point to rest up after that play, ignoring the bright red five stamped on the clock.

He'll get it right this time.

He has too.

This time he entered the mansion with the Feliciano, Yao, Kiku, Francis and Alfred. The rest were slightly late but that didn't matter, he needs to prepare. They all in the end were gathered around, somewhat injured and tired.

He doesn't count the hours, doesn't count the days or the times anyone's been injured. Instead, he checks his magic, checks his charms, Scones almost constantly at his side except for when his magic was at its lowest. He made it a point to speak with the rest of the counterparts besides, Francis, Matthew, Alfred and Feliciano. It'd be better for him in the long run considering how many times he's given away his heart. He'd rather be friends this time. It's the least he could do for the other versions he's been with.

So he spoke with Ivan and proved his cooking to Yao, walked up to and spoke about strategies with Ludwig and Prussia, continued to keep up his relationships with Alfred, Matthew and Francis, helped Feliciano and spoke with Kiku. He did as much as he could, still finding himself attached to them, still finding himself caring and loving them with the bottom of his heart.

In the end, he ended up using more magic than he intended after he saw that Thing going after his friends. His magic flaring to scare it off and leaving him blind, only able to see through his magic senses.

Arthur still lived for a long time after that, relying on his senses while they all helped him one way or another in their own rights.

Francis told him that his eyes are still beautiful, Yao told him to enjoy his special 'Chinese Tea Soup' made with the tea he found in the kitchen as well as some soup he whipped up. Ivan thanked him and while Kiku gently spoke to him about poetry, Alfred asked if he could clean his wings up, saying that 'it's a shame if those cool wings of yours look terrible'. Matthew simply hugged him while Feliciano gave him tips about what he does when his eyes are closed.

Arthur felt care for and loved, happy to know that his vision wasn't sacrificed in vain. His magical sight is the only thing he could rely on now, fighting alongside them as if his vision never changed.

Still, they slowly died off one-by-one.

First to go was Francis, who told them to run and that 'the power of love shall always prevail'.

Then it was Yao, protecting their latest discovery –the basement key- from being stolen from them.

Ivan was next, dying from his injuries on the bed that Arthur was sure that he had passed away on the first time they came in.

He couldn't bear the thought of Alfred and Matthew being the next and so the moment he could hear the crackle of electricity and realized it was being aimed for them, he never hesitated to jump in front of them.

That death was the most painful he's ever experienced, topping the time he bombed the piano room and moving itself to the pain on par to when his horns were broken off. It felt like he was being set on fire and charred from the inside out. The only thing he could focus on is the way the electricity surged through him, setting his veins ablaze and forcing him to scream.

* * *

 _Seven for the Devil himself…_

* * *

The next time, he was forced to confront it alone, they had all scattered and in his effort to look for them he bumped into that Thing first.

"yOu wILl NoT eScAPe…"

Arthur scoffed at it, knife in hand. "You really should do something about your voice, gargle some Listerine or-or eat some medicine. Honestly, it'll make it sound much smoother than your gravelly tones."

Perhaps he shouldn't have said that because the next thing he knows it, it blasts electricity at him and he's forced to blow himself and that Thing up.

* * *

 _Eight for a Wish…_

* * *

"Eight's time the charm right?" Arthur mumbled his eyes fixated on the words: _'_ _ **Current Loop:**_ _Eighth Loop'_

He did the process again, getting close to them all, being their friends, and doing his best.

All the while wishing that he was with their true counterparts, wishing they would turn around and call him 'England', wishing that this was the meeting room instead of the now familiar walls and rooms of a mansion he never wanted to enter in the first place.

He's getting tired of pretending to be shocked when he sees that Thing or answering to the name of Arthur.

 _(He won't admit it but when he was hiding alone in one of the rooms, he broke down, constantly reminding himself that his name is England. He broke down in the privacy of that room, releasing his frustrations as he simply felt the pang in his heart that wanted to be home.)_

He doesn't want to think much on this time loop, simply recalling the fact that the only ones surviving at that point was him, Feliciano, Alfred and Ludwig. He was almost going to die saving Francis when Matthew pushed him out of the way and took the hit.

He then died using too much of his magic, using it up to put a protective enchantment on the survivors.

* * *

 _Nine for a Kiss…_

* * *

The ninth time had to be his fondest, if not for how painless his death was then for the fact that he had developed another romance.

That time, it surprisingly wasn't with Francis. No, it was Kiku, the two of them having spent time together, separated from the rest. They spent majority of their time together until soon, they were closer than he ever expected to be. By the time they came into contact with the dwindled group consisting of Feliciano, Ivan, Gilbert, Matthew and Alfred, he can safely say that he fell in love with Kiku once more.

So when he realized that Kiku's back was turned and that Thing had appeared out of nowhere, he didn't hesitate to activate the leaf tattoo, half running, half gliding to push Kiku out of the way and use his magic to stop the electricity from going any further, thus depleting him of his last dregs of magic.

He's blind once again.

"Arthur! I-I'm so…I," Kiku's sobbing against his shoulder. Well, he can't have that. He moved, already adjusting to not having his sight, his arms wrapping around Kiku.

"It's alright, Kiku. I'm alright. It'll be just fine, okay?"

Kiku opened his mouth to protest, "But, because of me, if I wasn't so-"

Arthur pecked his cheek, tasting the salt of Kiku's tears. Kiku's been crying, sadly while he can see Kiku in an outlined silhouette, he can't see the emotions on his face.

"You did your best, Kiku. It's all I could ever ask for. Come on, the others should in the piano room right? We have to report our findings there."

"A-ah, yes, right,"

Kiku held onto his hand and from there, he never let go.

In the end, what did him in is the fact that both he and Kiku died together, holding each other in their arms. They both knew they were about to die, and gave each other one final goodbye kiss. That death by far is the kindest one he's ever received, dying in the arms of a person you love, knowing you'll be with them in the afterlife.

 _(Because it's not him in the end, he's not Arthur but a person taking his place for a while. He's merely living out the story they should be but, well, it's all the better seeing as they won't have to suffer living through it but remembering it.)_

* * *

 _Ten for Joyous Bliss…_

* * *

His next death was because he pushed the wrong lever.

Arthur can be the first to admit that it was his own bloody fault in the end that he died, the lever having ended with him waking up in the room before he could even figure out what had reaped him this time.

England can safely say that he'd rather not know…

* * *

 _Eleven for health…_

* * *

The eleventh time, he was unable to save Alfred, Matthew or Francis from death instead he had saved Feliciano, Ludwig and Gilbert. Kiku had died alongside Yao.

In that time loop, his only motivation for living was to keep Feliciano and the German brothers alive.

He died fighting that Thing in the room with bloody numbers on it, the door having been opened from solving the riddle.

England stared at the clock, gazing at the numbers, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, almost completing the face of the clock.

"Twelve is all that I need. This time…this time I will not fail. Everyone will live and Feliciano won't have to look to burdened anymore."

Silence.

As always, the only one in there is him, that poster and all the items he's gained from the past plays. His sketch book left open, having drawn all his deaths, all his mistakes, all the things where he went wrong so he knew what he could do this time.

"I'll be jumping in, please take care of my things, Scones. I'll…I'll most probably come back here crying. So please be ready to cheer me up!"

He gave the plush cat a forced smile and fell into the clock once more. The sounds of ticking tormenting him as he went through what he's sure to be his last loop, praying that this time, he'll make it out alive with everyone else.

* * *

… _Twelve for Wealth…_

* * *

 **Wow! I didn't expect to write that one so quickly! As you can see, I made the next time loops a montage. Oh wow! I'm not sure on whether or not I'll have a pairing for the next chapter, but if I will have a pairing for Artie then it'll either be Arthur and Francis, Arthur and Kiku, Arthur and Ivan or Arthur and Yao.**

 **The rhyme that came in between the lines is from the rhyme called Counting Crows using one version of it. Sometimes it's magpies though or other versions of animals but I do remember seeing this rhyme and thought it would be great use for some version of foreshadowing. The titles cause of the whole 'clock' thing going on. He's racing against time to live and survive while making sure his friends all live too, not knowing that Feliciano is also doing his own work to ensure they all stay alive.**

 **That aside, I have to say, that was a fun ride. I kept it pretty short (mostly because I don't want to take up so many chapters typing up this Groundhog/Kageru Day word for word) but I hope it's still a fun chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it and have a good day! (Or night!)**


	17. Chapter 17: Chrononology

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **(Okay so, requests are closed seeing this is the final play!)**

 **Note: The profile will be a bit different than in the actually game. This is basically just set in the HetaOni verse. (I'm going to take a lot of liberties with this cause it would be boring if you read the same thing okay!) Also, I don't have perfect memory, so expect dialogue to be essentially different.**

 **Double Note: There will be deviations from the actual time loop that the game takes place in, this is in order to fit in the fan-made ending I have in mind.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Chrononology

* * *

"It's here! It's really, here aru!"

Oh, he's arrived with only the Allies now. How nice, to see them all here and well.

He ignored what Francis said, checking on his magic. Locked, like he expected, well, it's always worth a try. He might as well check any other changes on his profile. With bored eyes he skimmed over the now memorized lines, word for word, his name, his age, abilities, his magic being locked and when they fell on the time loop, oh. He blinked in surprise.

' _ **Current Loop:**_ _Final Time Loop'_

"Well?"

They entered. Simple and easy as that, Arthur tuned out the rest following Francis and Yao to the second floor. Arthur always likened the first parts of these time loops as Déjà vu. It gave him a tired feeling, knowing he's been here, knowing as much as he could of the mansion, nooks and crannies, books and more. Familiar yet not…

He's not sure why he's being so bloody poetic now of all times, maybe because he knows that this will be his last time loop? The end is near but will it be a good ending or a bad one? Arthur prayed that this will end up being a good ending, filled magic and love and hopes and dreams like one twisted fairy tale.

He and Yao explored the rooms above, leaving Francis on the second floor. They wandered into a familiar piano room and Arthur couldn't help but play something short on it. The piano always served to make him more at ease, if only for a bit.

"Aiyaa, seriously, Arthur? Of all the things, you decided to check out the piano?" Yao sighed as the song ended. "Well, there's nothing here."

They continued poking around the place, Arthur half-tempted to summon Scones if only to make himself feel better. Already he's taking advantage of the rose tattoos, abusing their ability to stretch his senses wider than before. He won't be caught off guard.

They managed to poke around, Arthur smiling when he saw the chair that reminded him of the Busby's chair.

Gun shots…

Arthur cursed, it sounds like that Thing is going on a merry hunting trip now.

"It's Alfred's pistol! We have to find Francis and get out of here!"

Arthur wasted no time in bringing out his wings, Yao looking at him with surprise before shaking it off and running downstairs alongside him. His knife already in hand, his other hand open to use magic as needed.

Nothing, no sign of Francis, Arthur frowned. "Yao, I'll stay here while you go look around."

Yao wasted no time to think twice about it, running off to check the rooms.

In the meantime, Arthur summoned Scones. "Go look around for any sign of trouble. Don't hesitate to jump in and help."

Scones mewed and padded downstairs to the first floor, intent on doing his best for his master.

Satisfied, Arthur kept his wings out, wary and watching for any sign of the Thing. Luckily for him, nothing eventful happened while he waited. He spent the entire time preening his wings, it would be best if his wings were properly cleaned so he won't run into any sort of problems. He shuddered, that would be catastrophic.

Yao returned clutching a bloodied cloth, white and burned, looking exactly like Kiku's clothes.

Concerned, Arthur asked him if he was alright, his eyes fixated on the cloth. It can't be right, Kiku shouldn't be dead yet. Often times, Kiku remained one of the few that survived. If anything, Arthur's the one who keeps dying, that or ending up blind. It's why he's so acutely aware of his magic sight now, having been used to relying on it daily. Yao continued to speak, relaying to him where he had found it.

His mouth began to move without his knowledge, speaking about messages from Kiku and him still being in the meeting.

Yao relaxed at this, keeping the cloth for later investigation.

"No sign of Francis?" Yao asked him glancing around.

Arthur shook his head no. "None at all,"

"We have to get to Alfred and the others then."

Arthur and Yao headed down stairs. He followed the connection he felt with Scones, the two of them heading to the kitchen.

Ah, it looks like they're in battle against it. Unflinchingly, he jumped in the fray, working in junction to Ivan's cheerful pipe swinging and Matthew's arrows. He used his magic at this long range, wincing at how ineffective it was.

"Aiyaa! Can't you be more useful?!" Yao yelled, jumping up and slamming his wok into the shoulders of that Thing.

Growling, Arthur darted at the thing, taking advantage of the large space and his small stature. "Something's wrong with my magic!"

With his knife, he sliced away, cutting into it with speed and precision, already used to the ebb and flow of battle. However, with its special electric attack, it managed to paralyze both Ivan and Matthew, leaving him and Yao.

"yOu wOn'T eSc…ApE."

Arthur shuddered, goose bumps trailing down his spine. It was like listening to nails on a chalk board. He didn't allow its horrible and mangled voice to affect him further as he dove behind it, his knife slicing a long line down from the shoulders.

As he tried to move out of the way, it slammed into him and tossed him to the side of the wall. Yao followed soon after that.

His breath hitched into his throat. No. They can't all die this early on and not on his last chance. His eyes widened in panic as he realized he couldn't get up. It must have paralyzed him while throwing him through the wall!

His eyes fell on the fallen form of Yao. They're all paralyzed then.

As he watched that Thing walk, its footsteps loud and echoing in the eerily silent mansion, he couldn't help but apologize. Alfred must have gone first, his bullets ineffective when he's alone and afraid.

This is it.

He watched it approached Yao, the closest one who's fallen or, if Arthur were to believe, eating the last one to go down out of spite.

A beat, maybe two, Arthur watched as it picked up Yao. It opened its mouth revealing crooked and sharp teeth along with a horrifyingly large mouth. It looked like something out of a horror movie, tense and unnatural in a sinister and spine crawling way.

From the corner of his eye, he could see something white. The sound of a sword slicing through the Thing and the almost glowing eyes of Kiku filled him up with hope. They are saved.

"Hmph," Kiku scoffed at the Thing. Arthur hid a smile. It's been so long since he's seen Kiku in his confident and much more aggressive state. The last time was in Loop Nine and the Supernatural school.

"Kiku, this…this isn't your first time fighting it, huh?" Ivan was the first one to move, the effect of paralysis wearing off. Already Arthur can feel the effect lightening up, clenching and unclenching his fist to regain his senses.

Kiku shook his head. He gazed at them in confusion. "Aren't you also familiar with this Thing? You guys were here first, yes?"

Matthew frowned, "We haven't even been here for an hour yet! How come you arrived first before us? Isn't this place three hours away from the meeting place?"

"Actually, Feliciano insisted on having us come here and Ludwig went along with Gilbert and I tagged along," Kiku replied.

"I'll explain it later. I know a safe room with Feliciano and the others. But first…" His eyes narrowed. In the light it almost shined a dark red. "I must deal with this Thing."

Ivan tilted his head. "We help?"

"Do not worry. I shall take care of this. This Thing shall be a good stress-reliever for my rage,"

Kiku held his blade, Arthur's eyes widening at the all too familiar red glow. He's only seen it once, when Kiku was at his height of anger and frustration. Kiku was so angered, so enraged that his latent magical abilities actually surged up and into this one attack.

" **Blade of Wrath!"**

He sliced through it gracefully and swiftly, unable to let up as he poured out his rage onto that Thing. Before his eyes, he watched as it faded away. Arthur smiled at the victory for now. He should probably keep his wings into their tattoo form again. Come to think of it…he'll have to re-explain his wings again, Arthur sighed. What a bother.

His wings stretched and folded, before fading away into tattoos.

"It looks like Matthew now!" Ivan joked.

Matthew scowled at him, "You could have said it disappeared!"

Kiku regarded them all, scanning them for injuries. "Shall we go?"

The world faded to black, the speeding sounds of a clock passing by time. He closed his eyes, tired. They're all alive still.

* * *

It came back to them all gathered in a room with the fireplace. Arthur tuned out the way they all theorized and spoke before Yao looked at him and finally asked, "You, the wings, what was that?"

Arthur sighed, "I can use my tattoos to my advantage thanks to my magic. Much like my bracelet, I can use them anytime I want to with a bit of magic. I have three tattoos that work to my advantage, the roses on my arms, the wings on my back and the leaf on my shoulder."

"Wait, so you're saying you can use your wings to fly?" Ludwig asked unconvinced.

Arthur allowed his wings to come back, stretching them, showing off their light brown near golden colours to those present. "Yes. It's the least incredible thing in this blasted place though," He pointed out dryly.

The conversation after that turned back to what to do after that. Meanwhile, Arthur kept his eyes on Feliciano who simply sat in front of the fire place, watching the flames eat away at the wooden box. Feliciano seemed…bored, maybe even unsettlingly worried. Arthur can recall many times where he's noticed Feliciano looking as if he's tired. If anything, it looked exactly like looking into a mirror.

As the box burned, Arthur listened with half an ear, listening to Ivan summary of the events. Then Feliciano jumped up, startling them all with his sudden excitement compared to his solemn stillness a few moments ago.

"It's a key!" Feliciano announced with a bubbly smile on his face.

"We got a new breach!" Yao cheered.

Kiku calmed him saying, "Our first priority is getting out, but first we must rescue our friends. If our search is thorough, then we will be sure to find them. Those three are tenacious themselves, so it shouldn't take long to find them."

Arthur closed his eyes, allowing Ivan's remarks to wash over him. It seems Ivan's excited to actually be friends with everybody.

He sighed. "Let's hurry up then, don't want anyone dropping out do we?"

Kiku suggested they go in groups of two, in order to search the place faster. He was about to address the unsynchronized watches (Arthur wondered if it has to do with all the time loops he's gone through) when the room began to shake.

"…So it found us, after all. This room is no longer safe."

Arthur cursed, "Was this room ever safe at all? What are we going to do?"

"My group will be in charge of dealing with the Thing. Ludwig and Feliciano, you will search for the room that opens with that key,"

"I'm fighting with Kiku then!" Yao volunteered.

Ivan smiled, "May I join you, I have much to thank it for all that trouble."

All Arthur could think about is that piano room, he placed something in there. A fragment and they still have to solve that riddle, don't they? "There's a room I want to investigate with Matthew, so that's where we're heading. Feliciano, head to the room with the piano if you made any progress,"

It entered the room, looming over Kiku.

"Now!" He yelled slicing at the Thing.

The world turned dark and Arthur sighed.

"I have a feeling this will be the most confusing and elaborate time loop I've ever been in."

* * *

He came too standing in the piano room and looking at the numbers with Matthew.

"We'll have to use those numbers eventually," Arthur said, "So be sure to keep them in mind…Though the hand writing is terrible."

He poked around the shelves as Matthew did his work. Ah, Matthew, Arthur thought fondly, he's always been the sharpest of the lot. His tongue sure is as sharp as his mind. There, that bookshelf should have some of it.

He extended a hand took in the lump of magic, absorbing it until he felt refreshed. He recalls a few more just close by to the area. Perhaps he should go and get them…?

Yes, that would be prudent. No use wasting time.

"Matthew, I'll just look around the area for a bit. Be sure to be careful. I'll only be away for a short few."

"Oh, okay. Just be careful," Matthew looked at him with pleading eyes.

Arthur smiled at him. "You too," He walked out and summoned Scones in order to help him search for his magic. Matthew should be fine. He doesn't sense the Thing anywhere near them.

He managed to collect more than a few which is wonderful. When he came back, he noticed Matthew on the floor, unconscious.

"Matthew?" He lifted him up, "Matthew, wake up. Are you alright? What happened?"

Matthew groaned, holding his head. "Ugh… I-uh-I became a piano?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, his magic already scanning fading energy from the Thing on Matthew's aura. So Matthew had a run in with it then. "I'm guessing you're in shock or something. Come on, the others will be here soon." Arthur frowned, it was irresponsible of him to have left Matthew alone but in his excitement to regain more magic, he hadn't even left Scones with him!

He helped Matthew up from his place on the floor while the rest entered the room, Scones meowing as he guarded the closed door. He scanned each of them worriedly, taking in Kiku's, Yao's and Ivan's injuries as well as having Scones watch over their backs while they're all gathered in the piano room.

Everyone spoke about their findings, Feliciano holding up the other half of a paper that was paired together with what Kiku has. As they all spoke of their findings, Arthur received a strange phone call.

The nations all clamoured together, Kiku alerting them that Ivan had also received a phone call along with Ludwig. When he played it, all he heard is a single piano note. Then Feliciano, whose eyes have grown dimmer at this revelation, also had a phone call which he took.

Another note played.

Then, Kiku gathered all the notes and Matthew solved the puzzle.

Arthur smiled at this, one step closer. He'll just have to keep Feliciano alive this time. His eyes strayed to the hesitant figure of Feliciano, whose eyes darkened and smile grew tighter. He shuddered at this. A shadow of his former happy self, Arthur reasoned. Feliciano's trying to be strong again. Arthur was the last one to leave, his eyes never leaving Feliciano. He always tries to be strong in each time loop. As the normally cheerful and happy one, everyone looked to Feliciano for reassurance that nothing has changed. Alfred had taken to sharing that burden with Feliciano and it was manageable but with the absence of Alfred, Feliciano must be having a hard time dealing with it all by himself.

Almost like the blink of an eye, they were done waiting in the room with the tatami mats. Kiku came back with a key. Arthur realized as his heart began to race, they arrived at the doors to the basement. He had his wings out, knife already in hand as he walked.

They passed through multiple cell doors and found Francis, Gilbert and Alfred stuck behind the cell bars.

"Hey!" Alfred perked up at the sight of Arthur only to look at him in confusion. "Since when did you have wings…?"

Arthur rolled his eyes as Feliciano moved to unlock the cell door. "Since always, now get out of there and tell us why you're in here."

A quick explanation later and Arthur looked ready to berate all three of them. However, first he needed to look them over for injuries. "None of you got hurt right? Er- None of you would be of any help if you're hurt,"

Francis smiled wickedly at him. "Ah, no need to be so _coy_ about, you were worried, admit it."

Arthur flushed. "I _wasn't!_ Now answer the bloody question!"

"None of us were hurt," Francis told him moving closer to scan _him_ for any sign of injuries. Warm blue eyes took in the sight of him with his knife and his wings folded behind him. They looked so soft and elegant, Francis clenched a hand and unclenched it in an effort to stop himself from reaching out and touching it.

Soon they dispersed in order to explore, Arthur heading off to look for the magic he sensed. Francis followed behind him, admiring the way the wings shined in the light. The two stayed in that room, Arthur cheerfully looking around until he found the magic that was sealed off.

Francis started at the way his wings shifted with every movement. It reminded him of his own pet bird, Pierre. Oh the poor dear must be missing him at home already.

Francis lifted up a hand and asked, "…Your wings…May I-may I touch them?"

Arthur hid a smile. Francis has always been interested in his wings, something about gracefulness, beauty and general awe and amazement. He already knew his reactions to the wings but, Francis would be gentle with them, the wings sensitive in order to ride the winds easier.

"You may."

The hand slowly brushed up against his wings, Arthur stretched it open a bit for easier access and Francis, being the owner of a bird, began to stroke it gently. Arthur shuddered at the contact before settling back down. Soon, he calmed down from the gentle stroking.

Francis pulled back reluctantly and Kiku entered with Alfred.

"Hey dudes!" Alfred grinned.

Arthur held up a clock he found behind the shelf. "Hello, Alfred. Oh, Kiku, will we break the clock or should we leave it be?"

Kiku hesitated while Alfred was all for it. Francis simply waited for their decisions.

In the end, Alfred's insistence forced him to break it, memories of other time loops flowing through him.

* * *

 _Him looking at the notebook: '_ _ **Current Loop:**_ _Twentieth Loop'_

 _He and Francis can be found sitting in front of the fireplace with bloodied clothes, tears flowing down his face, "Alfred-! I-I couldn't save him. Matthew's with Gilbert, so, so he's alright. Uhm, uh, Feliciano's still looking painfully cheery, Ludwig is acting clingier to Feliciano than usual, Yao is keeping an eye on Kiku out of his own worry. I-Ivan's still not yet found and we're pretty much a part of that missing group aren't we?"_

" _Calm down, mon amour, we'll get to them soon. But first we must nurse our wounds." Francis murmured gently into his ears._

 _Arthur flushed. "R-right…" He glanced at Francis. "Francis? Promise me, promise me when we get out, that none of this will change?"_

 _Francis smiled sweetly at him, blue eyes so soft and full of love Arthur almost felt ill. "But of course, mon ange, nothing will change. Our love is as pure as the snow and I will make sure that it will grow to become a wintery paradise for you and me."_

" _You big bloody sap," Arthur flushed, moving closer to Francis anyway._

" _And yet you love that the most about me," Francis teasingly pointed out._

 _Arthur licked his lips. "Tell me you love me,"_

" _Always, Arthur, always," Francis sighed, understanding his hesitance. "I love you for as long as the sun burns and the sky blue, till the sea will not be salty and honey never golden. I will always love you with the passion of a fire and the gentleness of a rose petal,"_

 _Arthur laughed as each confession grew even more outrageous and elaborate._

" _-For as long as the curtains in this mansion are itchy and bookshelves filled with romance novels, I will love you far longer than we are in this room and for as long as we can roam the world."_

 _Arthur kissed Francis' neck before leaning on his shoulder, his eyes growing heavy as he mumbled back. "I love you too, Francis, for as long as I love my tea and for as long as…for-" He yawned, "-forever…"_

 _He drifted off into sleep and Francis moved him onto the bed. He brushed aside his hair and kissed him on the forehead. "I love you so much, mon ange. I promise I will never leave you."_

 _Odd… Arthur thought as he watched Francis keeping watch over the door, vigilant and determined._

 _Then the Thing came in, and Francis leapt into action. Arthur jolted awake and immediately activated the wings, his knife in hand and working together with Francis to take it down._

 _They were too weak. Arthur was already functioning on the leaf tattoo while Francis needed to eat as much Carbonara candy as possible in order to keep up._

 _In the end, Francis and he decided to blow it up alongside them, the two of them kissing each other one last time before Arthur detonated the bomb._

* * *

"Hey! Arthur…?" Alfred scowled. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Arthur blinked back into reality and frowned at Alfred. "What's with that question Alfred?"

"I'm just checking okay? I mean, you looked a bit glassy eyed over there so…" Alfred shrugged.

Arthur scoffed, his mind still reeling back from the scene he's just witnessed. So in another time line he didn't have twelve time loops but twenty or more… He frowned in thought, a romance with Francis, that's possible. Francis has always loved him in many time loops, confessing his love to him when he's close to dying or when Arthur was about to die.

Each and every time, he answered in order to give Francis a piece of mind. The only time he wasn't able to do that was when he wasn't there for Francis' passing or if Francis didn't confess at all. Most if not all of the time, those answers were purely friendship based with the first time loop being the exception.

Francis looked at him and glanced away briskly walking out of the room while Kiku followed him out.

This left him with Alfred and the two began to talk.

"Hey, now that you have more magic, what can you do now?" Was the first thing that Alfred asked him.

Surprised and slightly flustered, Arthur replied, "I can hold that Thing off for two seconds."

Alfred's eyes widened with surprise and Arthur flushed red. "I know it isn't much. I'm sorry it isn't what you imagined especially considering my wings and the charms on my bracelet but it's the reality of it."

"Arthur-"

"-And it isn't as flashy as you expect. But, it's the most that I could do, okay?"

"Arthur-"

"Plus, it won't do much, I know. I mean it's only two seconds which is already horrible because it isn't even a minute and-"

"Arthur!" Alfred gripped him on the shoulders.

Arthur stopped himself in his self-deprecating tirade, his green eyes wide with surprise and mouth half open.

"Two seconds is more than enough," He reassured Arthur. Arthur relaxed.

Soon they talked about a plan, Arthur ensuring that this time, this time Feliciano won't be killed first.

So here there all are now, after running from the exit Arthur knew would be blocked off and having locked the door behind him, kept his magic on a hair's trigger.

It seemed to happen in a blink of an eye. He had ignored Feliciano's speech, the same as last time, and kept his eyes on the door.

It busted open, revealing the large horrifying grey of the Thing and he leapt into action. His hands glowed yellow and the floor around it became littered with magic circles.

"Now!" He yelled and Alfred surged forward holding an iron pipe. With it he bashed it against the Thing in order to stop it from getting out, allowing it to stay behind.

Kiku then jumped in, wielding his katana expertly. It sliced through with sharp precision.

It disappeared quickly after that.

However, he had strained much of his magic from keeping it back forcefully. That Thing had been resisting the entire time. Luckily, he has enough reserves to run on his leaf tattoo until they get to safety.

He blinked blearily, the tattoo glowing as the wings faded away. What? Ludwig built a room for them to stay in?

He swayed a bit and winced, damn he can feel his magic's state affecting him physically. He felt sore all over and he felt as if he was hit on the head with a sledge hammer.

Arthur was tired. He had strained his magic to the extent of exhaustion. Still, they're in the room now. A safe spot, a safe place for them, Arthur smirked, this is new. Hopefully this is a sign that they'll all escape.

"Wh-What the heck is this place?"

Arthur winced as he laughed. Damn, it's affecting him physically too huh? He can't pay much attention. He's too bloody tired for that. Still, he can hear Ludwig addressing them, but he mentioned sleep?

"…sleep…"

"I'm hungry too but…healing and then sleep…"

Why are the lights changing in bright- oh, he's blinking in and out of consciousness isn't he?

"Alfred…hurt…first-aid kit…"

Okay, good, Alfred will be patched up. He headed over to those beds and crawled into the first bed he could reach, he grabbed the blankets and wrapped it around, too tired to care about the fact he hasn't even wrapped himself in his blankets like this since he was a boy. With that, he deactivated the leaf tattoo and fell into sleep without any sort of resistance.

* * *

" _I'm sorry, it's because of me…" Feliciano spoke._

 _Kiku is dead and the only ones left are him, Feliciano, Ludwig, Gilbert, Ivan and Yao._

 _It was time loop number %^ &, he's not sure how long it has been since he first entered this time loop. They found the key but it's no use when so many are dead. In the end, he told them to leave the key to the next selves. _

" _It's my fault… Because…because I-!"_

* * *

He woke up with a gasp.

"Right, it's not now," He looked at them, all of them sleeping soundly even if Feliciano looked troubled.

His green eyes softened, poor guy, he's supposed to be the only one to remember what had happened, but because he experienced those time loops as plays, he remembers. Arthur shook his head, well there's one change. They're all alive. They're all alive this far along, it's something he's relieved because it's a sign that something is going right.

His eyes drifted to Feliciano. The Italian blamed himself for everything in the past time loops. For every death, for every wrong move he blames himself. No one had died here, not here and not now. Perhaps, the Italian is simply experiencing nightmares of what could have been? The entire situation is truly stressing.

He went back to sleep, this time dreaming of bluebells and knights. Gilbert's kind grin telling him that everything will be alright.

* * *

He woke up first before everyone else, much more relaxed and rested. Together they ate their fill. He can see Feliciano's eyes sparkle (He wants to make sure it stays that way this time.) and he complimented the food.

"Alright, now that everyone is rested and fed, shall we begin the conference?" Ludwig asked them.

Ivan grinned. "Sure! I'm full and I don't feel tired anymore, so go ahead!"

"Feliciano has been working hard, his food is delicious!" Yao complimented nodding at Feliciano.

"Ve~ Thank you so much," Feliciano smiled but Arthur can see the tired and dark edge that can only be seen in his eyes.

"Well, who's going to speak first?" Francis looked around the table, scanning them to see who goes first.

"Alfred, you were the one who told us about this place. Do you have any connection to that Thing? Is it safe to assume that it's simply a coincidence that it looks like Tony? That's all I'm asking." Matthew asked him.

Arthur knew the answer already. They aren't connected.

"No. I never really knew that Thing. It doesn't even look like Tony," Alfred replied, his eyebrows creased together when they accepted his answer.

"Aren't you guys going to blame me?"

Nobody did, Arthur thought. If anything they sort of blame themselves. He didn't say anything, assured that the rest will reassure him that he isn't to blame for their situation. Instead, he watched Feliciano like a hawk. He has a feeling that he's going to pull something off. But what is he going to do? Feliciano obviously won't do anything to hurt them, that goes against the whole point but… Feliciano has been acting strangely calm in the later time loops he's gone through (perhaps to adjust to the vagueness of the Italian's personality?) so he could do something drastic. You never know with the happy ones.

"Hey guys? I have to tell you about something," Hmm? Interesting, what is he going to tell them? "But I can only say it in the basement."

The basement, Arthur leaned closer, listening as Feliciano pleaded for them to go to the basement.

"Hmph, I see. Well, before that I also have somewhere I want to investigate as well," Ludwig piped in, humming in thought.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Well, where is it?"

"In the cave with the burnt rope, I saw something there but I wasn't able to pick it up,"

"Oh! ...Thank you," Why does Feliciano look as if he's doing something that he'll regret?

Arthur bit his lip. Hopefully Feliciano isn't going to sacrifice himself again. The Second time loop is more than enough for heroic sacrifices. He eyed him warily as they all stood up, ready to go. Yes, he thought his hand going for the knife charm, hopefully.

He stayed along as back up in the room while the rest went with Ludwig. Somewhat paranoid, he kept his fingers on the knife, ready to take it out at a moment's notice. He's going to save his magic for now but at the first sign of trouble he'll bring out his wings.

"Alright, let's all go to where Feliciano wished to talk." Ludwig said as the two emerged from where they had been.

Arthur nodded his head and followed after them. His hand still stayed on the knife.

Then Feliciano told them about a box he wanted them to open and Arthur felt dread. Alfred had volunteered alongside Yao and Francis, the three of them entering the cell.

"So, what's in that box?" Matthew asked him.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, "Yes, what is in that box, Feliciano?"

"Er, hope?" Feliciano smiled at them.

Matthew looked at him weirdly.

Hope? Seriously, Feliciano, if anything that made him even more paranoid. There's so much evidence that says Feliciano might know more than he let on, it's starting to be less of a coincidence and more like a tell. Those eyes that Feliciano had once during his confessions, it… reminded him of what he saw in the mirror, jaded and broken yet clinging onto a small frayed thread of hope.

But, it can't be possible.

Feliciano can't also be going through time loops too right? But… it would make sense, how quick their progress went, having been the fastest he's ever experienced. The way Feliciano would look at them all when he thought they weren't looking. Not only that but…Who started these time loops in the first place?

He didn't want to believe it but it had to be the answer right? Feliciano knew because he's gone through time loops.

When they couldn't open the box, he decided to go with them, there has to be something in that box! Perhaps the box has rope? Yes, that would be nice. He could fly up and tie it which could lead to their freedom.

Then Feliciano locked them in the cell.

"Alfred, why don't you say it? Say who lured them here," He muttered darkly and oh. Oh no, oh no, oh no! Oh nonononono.

Arthur knew Feliciano held some sort of self-hatred but…not to this extent.

"By the way…" He said as he continued to walk away. "There's nothing in that box. It's empty. Sorry,"

Feliciano began to pace back and forth as they all turned to the silent Alfred.

"What's the meaning of this? What are you hiding?" Please, Arthur prayed, please don't tell him that Feliciano had been the one to learn of this place. Feliciano had suffered enough pain for once. Please, he begged with his eyes as everyone looked to Alfred.

"Huh? Aren't you going to say it? Why not? Read the atmosphere for once!" Feliciano shouted. His eyes are teary and desperate and oh, Arthur felt weak at the knees.

"No…" He mumbled to himself, Feliciano has suffered enough having to watch them all die. But, he didn't expect this.

"Fine," Feliciano walked towards the gate, his hand gripping the steel bars tightly, "I'll say it then. I'm the one who told Alfred, I'm the one!"

He bit his lip.

"Yeah, you may have laid the rails but I'm the one who ran on it in the end. I could have chosen not to tell them but…I did." Alfred replied. "It's not your fault, Feliciano."

"No!" Feliciano clenched his fist.

Arthur knew they won't get out. The look in his eyes…Feliciano looked, fractured, broken. He knew the toll was becoming too much for him to bear. Just how many time loops did he have to go through?

"Feliciano! Come back here and open this cell!" Ludwig yelled. Arthur looked at him in defeat.

"Look, that Thing is after me and only me."

How much of this has escalated to either him or everyone dying? That first loop… everybody died didn't they? Arthur sat down on top of the box. He listened as Feliciano spoke about it coming after him. He can't truly muster up the will to at least scream for him to come back, not like Kiku or Ludwig. All he can do is accept it and prepare. He examined the bars of the cell, the bars reaching up to the ceiling, blocking any home of climbing out or flying out.

Feliciano left.

Arthur used his knife to slice at it. Not even so much as a scratch appeared on the cell bars. He took out the target charm and tried to blast it open. No good. Frowning Arthur moved to sit on the box in defeat.

He looked around as Kiku scowled. His sword barely made a dent.

Wait… He thought, his eyes growing wide. The bars may not be able to let him go through but it could work for a cat. With that in mind he summoned Scones.

"See if you can find any help," He ordered it watching as it slipped through the bars with feline elegance and running out to look for help.

"You think that will work? We're all in here," Matthew pointed out.

Arthur smiled. "Scones is a tenacious little bugger, I'm sure he can figure out something."

"If you say so," Matthew nodded his head.

"Eh?" It looks like Scones did find someone, "Antonio?!"

"Oh what's this? A zoo? A world zoo? 'Do not pet or feed the representatives'?" Antonio remarked.

Arthur sighed as he walked forward to pat Scones on the head through the bars. "Good job Scones."

The cat meowed in delight.

With that out of the way, and the situation somewhat explained to Antonio, they were free. "Let's look through the basement first," Matthew pointed out. "We'll be separated into two groups okay?"

"Got it!"

They split up, Arthur having bid Scones to follow the other group that comprised of Ludwig, Gilbert, Romano and Kiku. The cat silently padded after them, leaving Arthur with the rest.

The world faded into darkness. The sound of time passing made him scowl.

Arthur clenched his fists, Feliciano better not do something as stupid as confronting it himself!

* * *

When the world came too, Feliciano is in a bed with the rest of them gathered around it.

Ludwig stared at the unconscious Feliciano. "He's covered in injuries…"

No…

"He fought alone, it's only natural," Francis replied

He scowled. Damn it!

"I heard that Thing was bigger than ever…but he wasn't surprised at all, was he?" Matthew pointed out.

Ivan looked at him, "You mean he already knew or..?"

"We should think that he had seen it many times over," Yao hummed.

Kiku licked his lips. "It would explain his emotional strength and why has gotten so good at fighting."

Lovino's in here too, meaning they're twelve now instead of ten.

He looked away as they all began to argue over whether or not they should interrogate him. Arthur quickly leapt to Feliciano's defence.

"Let him rest. The chap deserves to have a chance to explain on his own terms."

Yao narrowed his eyes at Arthur. "Well you have some explaining to do too!"

He stilled, muscles tense as he looked around the gathered group, realizing the way they all looked at him. "Excuse me?" His voice didn't waver, his nobility training kicking in and saving him from digging himself deeper.

"You've been acting strangely ever since we even arrived at the mansion. Don't think I don't see the way you treated us. Even in the other memories I got when the clocks broke!" Yao jabbed a finger at him, "Like that one time line where you literally treated us with proper respect, you got close to us and everything! You still look at us like you miss talking to us like that, aru!"

He backpedaled, as the others looked at him with seemingly damning gazes.

In the end, the one sentence that pushed him into spilling his secret is the look Francis gave him as he asked softly. "Whenever you look at any of us, you look as if you're about to break."

He broke.

He thought he was done with crying over their deaths, used to seeing them bloodied and beaten and bruised, used to giving his heart to them. He thought he was already used to reliving memories of a different Yao who gardened and another who was a proud dragon. He thought he was done reliving the images of a smiling Kiku that looked at him forgivingly, of a Francis that gave his heart with a rose and smile, of an Angel named Antonio and a horned Lovino.

He thought of his own friends and how long it has been since he's seen them. How long it has been since he's heard the obnoxious laugh of America and the light rants about pasta. The way China would offer food and Russia would cheerfully talk about the most off-putting subjects at times. The chaos that he used to dread now became something he looked forward to out of home sickness.

"Arthur!" He could feel a hand on his shoulder and since when did he get on the floor? "It's alright. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

He blinked, he didn't know when he had curled up and hid his face. He could feel his cheeks being wet and his breath coming out in stuttering huffs.

He shook his head. "I-I have to. You-you deserve to know. Uhm, I should probably fix up some tea, sit down at the table."

He prepared the tea silently as Lovino seemed to look at him pleadingly. As if begging for him to keep his mouth shut. He's somewhat sorry but, what he's going to tell them is probably an entirely different story than Lovino's expecting.

Once it was finished, he poured it the only offered cups, that being of Kiku, Yao and surprisingly, Ivan. Francis merely nursed a nice glass filled with wine, Gilbert and Ludwig had beer and the rest? Well, he's not much for details right now.

He sighed as he took out the notebook, the black cover a familiar sight that spoke of much use. He placed it in front of him, suddenly nervous about having it out in the open.

"This notebook has plenty of hints and the only reason why I'm bringing it out in the open is because I don't think you'd believe me."

And so, he began.

"I go through different time lines, hoping to get back home." He's editing his experiences, merely telling them that when they first entered the mansion, something went wrong with his magic and he was brought through to a different time line entirely.

"My first time line was where I was apparently the child hood sweet heart of a mob boss. That mob boss turned out to be Alfred." He ignored the surprised looks thrown to Alfred's way. The idea of such a man that claimed to be a hero becoming a villain seemed incredibly absurd. "It was clean and short and simple, a kiss, a fleeting fancy and then I fell into another time line. It was Francis this time, soul mates. It's also where I got my rose tattoos."

Francis looked down at his own arms, as if looking for the marks. Arthur didn't see this though, having been gazing into his reflection in the tea.

"Then it was Kiku. That was the longest I had been there. It lasted for months. You were an Emperor on the moon and we were connected with the red string of fate. It was still a romance and the one I sometimes look back to for calm times. I got a necklace from that one." Kiku stayed silent, his eyes looking at the necklace and now wondered what could have been.

"I met myself next, in the past. We were immortal and looking for death. In the end, I found it and moved on."

He kept going, recounting each play while making sure to stop it from revealing himself to be someone other than a dimension travelling man who finally came to this place only to go through things again and again.

He told them quietly of the romance with Yao, how Alfred had been dead long before already. He spoke of being a demon and then a winged angel on what was apparently Purgatory. He told them of his time with Gilbert and his love with Matthew. His explanations are scattered at best and confusing at most but they all listened anyway.

When he finished Antonio had looked at him unreadably before saying, "You fell in love with most of us in here. Not mentioning the times you had to try and protect us in the many time loops."

"Yes. I don't regret it. I've moved on. I'm back home now, this place. We'll get out of here. I swear it."

Lovino moved first, and his first move was to slap him upside the head. "Stupid Scone Bastard! You're not the only one here who wants us all to get out. My _brother_ wants us to get out, _they_ want us to get out- _I_ want us to fucking get out! So don't take all the shitty responsibility on yourself. Share the burden, you fucker!"

Francis nodded his head, moving to place a hand on his shoulder "That's right. You may have been alone for long but not now. You've shared the burden and now it's our turn to help defend you."

Gilbert grinned and let out his strange laugh. "That's right! I may not be a knight now but I'll gladly come to the rescue!"

"Da, we're all comrades here now!" Ivan laughed.

Yao downed the rest of his tea. "The other me with the garden is smart. You should listen to me more often, aru!"

As everyone piped in to encourage and reassure Arthur, Feliciano groaned. Everyone immediately leapt to greet him only to be greeted by hazy and confused eyes.

"Huh?"

Oh dear, Arthur thought as he bit his lip. "Who-who are you?"

It seems that Feliciano has forgotten, but why?

"Feli, do you remember any our names?" Lovino asked gently, shock evident on his features.

"I do remember!" Feliciano nodded eagerly. "He's Mr Kiku, you're my big brother Lovino, he's Mr Arthur, and- and, uh… Ludwig, err my-" He squinted at Ludwig, confused. "Ludwig's important to me."

"Hey, Feli. How about a bath? It'll help clear your head okay?" Lovino murmured softly to Feliciano and gave Ludwig a pointed glance.

"Okay!"

The two left.

"Why was he talking like that?" Kiku asked out loud as Lovino left the bathroom for a moment.

"He's in the current state of a child. The only one he didn't call Mr is… Ludwig and I,"

Arthur hummed. "It has nothing to do with amnesia. It can't be… But, it might be possible that the time loops he's gone through have become too much for him."

"His memories have already been bleeding into my own…" Lovino replied. "Come to think of it, I should probably tell you…"

Ludwig shook his head. "No. Go and take care of Feliciano. We can take over from here."

Lovino hesitated for a moment before saying, "Feliciano gave something to you, it would be best to discuss that then."

He disappeared to watch over Feliciano.

"What _did_ Feliciano give you?" Matthew asked him. His eyes sharp as he took in the metal piece.

"I...honestly am not sure," They all looked at it. Arthur stayed quiet. His passivity already an ingrained habit as the conversation flowed with Matthew suggestion to it being a key.

The longest he was able to stay alive for was in the room with the moon riddle and the unsettling sight of blood. He knows what those metal pieces are but, Feliciano's never told him where they are beyond, 'they're safe don't worry.'

"That settles it then. We'll split into two groups, one to stay here and watch over Feliciano and the other to go search for the rest of the pieces." Ludwig nodded to himself.

"Hmm, it would be nice to go on the search team." Yao mused.

"I'd like to stay here then, I'm sure Feliciano would like some fresh food," He mused, forgetting for a moment his falsified reputation among them as a horrible cook.

"Never mind, I'm staying!" Yao exclaimed with a pale face. "You've been working so hard and I'm sure your knowledge would work best in the search team!"

Arthur looked at the pale faced Yao with concern. "Are you sure? You look oddly pale, I feel bad if I simply left you to do work."

"Oh, Arthur," Francis began with a nervous smile. "You are too nice in this regards. If it makes you feel better, I'll be with Yao in order to make sure he's well."

Arthur relaxed. "Alright, I'll be going with the search team then. I can use my knowledge to help out." Not only that but he still needs to recover more of his magic. He should be at 25% with the recovered lumps of magic from when he had investigated the piano room.

"I'll be saying as well," Ludwig said, his eyes darting to the bathroom where Lovino and Feliciano still resided in.

"If he's staying then so am I!" Gilbert grinned self-assuredly.

"Ah, I think I'll stay here for now," Antonio sighed, "I want to be there for Lovi."

Understandable considering how close the two are. Arthur's eyes flickered to those who haven't spoken yet.

"I'm going." Matthew simply said, pushing up his glasses, the light shining off of it and hiding his eyes.

"I am going as well," Kiku replied serenely, his eyes cheekily shining at Yao.

Ivan smiled at them all. "How fun, I'm going too."

"And you Alfred?" Ludwig asked him.

Alfred snapped back into attention and the stiffness in his shoulders loosened. "Right, I'm going. After all, you guys would be lost without your hero right?" He gave them a thumb's up and a bright smile that looked a tad bit strained in the corners.

"Then it's settled. Search team, move out." Ah, there's the military excellence that Ludwig always maintains.

"Alright!" Alfred exclaimed happily, "Let's get this party started!"

They searched the place thoroughly, Arthur happy to say his magic is now up to 37%! There should be more in the basement. So far, he hasn't seen any of the pieces of metal and neither do the rest of them.

"We should look in the basement." Alfred hummed.

Matthew blinked, "Wait, didn't Feliciano say that there was hope in the box?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "That was a trick wasn't it? He said there wasn't anything in the box."

"Yeah, but still, it's worth a look and if nothing else, we can use it as extra storage." Ivan came back, holding his pipe.

Arthur backed down, he has a feeling there's something useful in the box. Come to think of it… He had sensed something but had brushed it off as his aura seeing as he had sat down on it for a while.

"Alright, let's go then."

They headed to the box, taking it out of the cell and finding a way to open it.

"Wait," Kiku said suddenly. "Flip it on its back."

They did as told and found an array of designs in the style of Japanese flowers and leaves.

"Wait, this style of design…" Arthur mumbled, "Anglo-Japanese from the looks of it."

Kiku stared at it until realization hit him like a rock. "It's a puzzle box!"

"You think this is how we open the box?" Alfred looked at Matthew.

Matthew moved to fiddle with it, finding that he could move a flower. "I think so."

"We'll have to solve it then, da?"

Arthur watched with interest as Matthew moved it around, Kiku adding in his two cents while Ivan examined the make. If a certain combination didn't work, Ivan would try a combination himself, the three of them bouncing ideas.

Meanwhile Arthur and Alfred had a small conversation on the side.

"Alfred, what was it that was bothering you back there?" Arthur could see the darkness in his eyes and the slight pinch in the corners of his smile.

"What do you mean, Artie?" Alfred tried to look casual.

Arthur scowled at Alfred. "You know what I mean. You were thinking of something, Al."

"I wasn't thinking of anything, Artie." Alfred defended himself with a frown. "I was just a bit sleepy 'cause I didn't have my coffee yet."

They heard a click. Turning towards the group of puzzle solvers, they realized they had solved the puzzle. Alfred and Arthur rushed to the group.

"Alright, let's look inside," Matthew opened the box.

In side laid a letter, a piece of metal as well as a large lump of magic. However, underneath the letter is something else.

"Huh?" Alfred took it out, their attention diverted as Arthur took in the lump, feeling the amount of magic coming back with a sense of refreshment.

"It's… a dictionary."

There are pages bookmarked and when opened, certain words were circled. In total only five bookmarks are there with five words encircled in a bright red ink. One of which is the word 'Annexe'. Considering it was in a puzzle box, Arthur figured they could use it for another puzzle.

"We should keep it for now. It should be useful." Arthur said, taking it and keeping it temporarily in a pocket dimension.

The familiar rush of power made him think back to when he had to regain his magic slowly as his wings developed.

"The letter is addressed to Feliciano." Kiku pointed out as he examined it. "It would be best to give it to him. Hopefully he is fully rested or at least on the road to regaining his memories."

"At least we have another metal piece," Alfred grinned taking the metal with him and hiding it in his jacket.

"That's all we can find. Let's go report to the others, shall we?" Ivan smiled.

They all were smiling. Progress seemed to come faster than Arthur had been expecting, with it being two days since they arrived, his hopes have never been higher. However, there's still a lingering doubt in the back of his mind where his friends wouldn't make it out. Where this is one of those stories that end in a cycle that can never be lifted. Like Sisyphus pushing up that boulder to the top of the mountain with a hope that one day, one day he might regain what he had so wrongly sought after, Arthur wondered if it is wrong to want freedom but decided now's not the time.

He can think later when they're all back in the safety of the unknown room.

For now, he has to return. He summoned Scones, feeling invigorated by how much magic he has compared to the measly percentage of ten now to the much more manageable number of 42%. Hopefully he would be able to regain his magic to its fullest form.

They had a short run in with that Thing but their quick running speed and Arthur's ability to outmanoeuvre it helped in shaking it from their tail.

They arrived to the room without any sort of injury or casualty.

"Arthur!" Francis exclaimed, the first thing that came to mind being the idea of them entering a skirmish with the Thing with his wings out.

Arthur smiled at Francis, closing the door behind him with a click.

"We're back!" Alfred grinned, holding up the metal piece. There they found Feliciano being held by Ludwig.

Kiku sent Ludwig a knowing smile. Ludwig blushed but otherwise did not let go

"So what happened while we were away?" Arthur asked, looking just as amused as Kiku.

"Feliciano recovered most of his original memories as well as a few other memories from within in mansion." Ludwig replied, shifting so that the two of them moved to the table the rest of those who learnt they were there (no thanks to Alfred's cheerful shout) also moved there.

"I see." Matthew moved to grab one of Yao's prepared dumplings. "I'm happy to say we found the other metal piece. We also found a dictionary, some of Arthur's misplaced magic and a letter for you. Kiku?"

Kiku took out the letter and handed it to Feliciano. "Here, I figured it was best if I held onto it until I could give it to you."

"Oh, thank you Kiku." Feliciano accepted the letter.

"The dictionary has bookmarks in with the words: 'Annexe', 'Earth', 'Sea', 'Time' and 'Wind' circled in red." Arthur revealed, flicking to the pages of the dictionary absentmindedly.

"Strange, we don't know anything that could need it so we can keep it for now." Antonio hummed, looking at Lovino and Feliciano for any sort of reaction.

Feliciano tried to recall it but then his eyebrows scrunched up and he said, "I don't remember any puzzle that needed a dictionary."

"This is a new development…" Arthur mumbled.

Lovino yawned. "It's getting late, we should sleep now."

"Yeah, but…" Yao glanced at the beds, "There's only ten beds and twelve of us."

"We can continue this discussion tomorrow then." Ludwig said, finally releasing Feliciano who patted Ludwig on the cheek and moved to his brother.

Arthur decided to ask Francis about what happened between them. They better have gotten together, he grouched, they've been dancing for as long as he could remember Germany and Italy being friends. He snickered as they all tried to figure out how they were all going to sleep. He could remember France biting away at his handkerchief out of sheer frustration over Germany and Italy.

"So it's settled then, we're all sleeping on the floor." Ludwig sighed.

Feliciano laughed, his eyes shining with a brightness he hasn't seen in a long time. "I'll get the blankets!"

"I'm grabbing the pillows," Lovino said, one step behind him.

Ivan smiled at them all in his child-like way. "I'm going to need help getting down the beds."

"I'll help you!" Alfred jumped, "But only because I'm the hero!" He tacked on, in order to save face.

"Aiyaa, if it's only you two, then we won't get anything done! I'm helping!" Yao pointed out.

"I think I should help as well," Kiku joined in.

Arthur hasn't felt this at peace since he first got here. Letting the noise and argument wash over him, if he closed his eyes maybe he can trick himself into thinking he is home.

"Arthur," Francis tugged on his hand, gently pulling him to the kitchen area.

"Francis? What is it?" He felt so sluggish and calm, lethargic in a soothing manner.

Francis smiled, "I figured I should tell you about what had happened while you were away. Don't think I didn't see the way you looked at Ludwig and Feliciano."

Arthur chuckled. "As sharp as ever you bloody frog,"

"Right, right, now be quiet. Everyone's preparing to go to sleep and Feliciano is reading that letter in privacy." Francis hushed cheekily. "Now, let's see… Feliciano had recently come out of the bathroom with Lovino."

* * *

" _Ciao! I got most of my memories back now." Feliciano smiled, even if he couldn't help but stare at Ludwig._

" _That's a relief," Gilbert patted Feliciano on the head._

 _Yao laughed, "Francis and me made some food for you! So eat up,"_

 _Ludwig stayed silent, lost in his thoughts. That's when Feliciano murmured something to Lovino and Feliciano moved to take Ludwig to the bathroom for a private chat._

" _Finally!" Gilbert grinned. "I've been wondering when this was going to happen."_

" _Oh? Is petit Feliciano going to confess his feelings?" Francis hummed._

 _Antonio's eyes gained a sharper edge, interest making his green eyes bright with delight._

" _Is that right, Lovi?"_

 _They turned their attention to Lovino while Yao silently listened._

" _Well…" Lovino glanced at the bathroom door. "Feliciano felt that it would be best if he got those feelings out of his chest. He's lost too much that he wants this to happen. After all, from what I've seen, he deserves some sort of happiness after this baiting. He hasn't acted on his feelings until this time loop."_

" _Ohonhonhon, I see. The next time I see them in a world meeting, I'll be sure to give them my…regards." Francis smirked, planning on sending them something that might have Ludwig coming to scold him._

"…" _Gilbert narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you planning on sending..."He paused, lowering his voice and stage whispering, "Condoms?"_

 _Antonio gasped, "How scandalous! I'm all for it!"_

" _I suggest sending him lube too." Gilbert laughed._

" _Guys, stop planning this in front of me, chigi!" Lovino flushed, glaring at the three of them._

" _What size should I send?" Francis hummed._

 _Gilbert snickered, "Try sending the big ones,"_

" _What, with the Spongebob design on it?" He replied drily._

" _Actually, I was thinking Sailor Moon," Gilbert retorted._

 _Antonio laughed. "Are you going to-"_

" _Shut up you bastards!" Lovino threw pillows at them. His face flushed a dark red._

" _Why's that Lovi? Imagining what that might be like between them?" Antonio teased, his easy-going grin giving Lovino an excuse to throw another pillow at Antonio._

" _No, I wasn't, chigi!"_

 _Francis smiled. "Alright, alright, I think that is enough teasing, Toni."_

 _Toni play-pouted, "Aww, but Lovi looks so cute when he's flustered!"_

" _Shut up!" Lovino screamed, tackling him to the ground._

 _Soon the room was filled with playful laughter and the sound of Lovino and Anotnio wrestling on the floor._

 _Feliciano and Ludwig came out holding hands. Feliciano with the brightest smile Francis has ever seen on Feliciano while Ludwig had a shy blush on his face._

" _He said yes, Lovi!"_

 _Lovino smiled at his brother proudly. "As expected from a Vargas," He then glared at Ludwig. "Hurt him potato bastard and I swear I'll toss you in a mine field with itching powder and bright pink hair."_

 _Gilbert patted Ludwig on the back. "Kesesese, good job, little bro!"_

" _Please be quiet, Bruder…"_

 _Ludwig looked as if he was about to die from embarrassment but the hand holding his tightened as if to remind him that he has Feliciano now._

 _Francis can happily say that they look adorable together, and so in love as well._

* * *

"Indeed, such love is an incredible sight. Ahh, nothing touches the heart like two people in love." Francis sighed, casting the couple a look of joy.

Arthur patted Francis on the shoulder, "Who knows? Maybe you'll find love as well."

* * *

" _Arthur, mon age, you have always held my heart since the day we've met each other on that field on a sunny day."_

 _Francis laid dying with a smile, as he listen to Arthur's teary and hasty reply._

" _Don't worry, you're not the only one. I-I've loved you for so long, it's why I wanted to be like you."_

" _Please keep little Feli safe for me?"_

" _Of course, of course."_

" _Je suis follement amoureuse de vous, Arthur."*_

" _I-I know. I love you so much more, Francis."_

 _He moved to kiss him._

 _Francis never kissed back._

* * *

Francis smiled at him with the sort of look one would well resigned to never being in a relationship, no matter how much they wanted it to happen.

"If only, Arthur, if only."

He watched as Francis walked away to the beds, he soon followed after, turning off the lights and burrowing under the blanket. He fell asleep wondering if he'll fall with Francis for another time.

* * *

" _Arthur?"_

 _What? Who's calling his name?_

" _It's me-You know, Francis."_

 _Why does he sound so scared?_

" _I was so close, so close and yet it wasn't enough."_

 _He's not sure what's going on beyond the fact that he is blind again and the world is bathed in monochrome blacks, whites and greys. His back is aching, pulsing, throbbing, his throat feels raw and hoarse from screaming._

" _I'm so sorry, mon ange. It managed to cut your wings." Francis hiccupped, a gentle touch, reassuring in between when he supposed must be two stumps on his back._

" _Don't be sorry." He heard his own voice talking. "I simply moved of my own will to save you."_

" _It should have been-" "-No." He knew the sound of regret in Francis' voice. He knew it like he knew the scent of rain or the sound of birds. He knew it absolutely and fully._

 _That coupled with the wet patches on his shoulder meant that Francis felt guilt over something beyond his control._

" _You didn't see it and I could." See it? What is he talking about? "I moved o save you. You lived, I lived, end of story."_

" _Ah…" Francis sighed, "You're always the logical one. Always so pragmatic, so down to earth and firmly simple in your elegant ways,"_

 _He felt a touch on the lips soft and hesitant. It left as soon as it came._

" _Mon ange, you truly are a gift to me."_

* * *

He woke up gasping for air and groaning from the throbbing pain in his side. He looked around only to realize it was because of Alfred's stretched out leg.

Arthur shook his head and settled down into the comfort of sleep.

He'll fight for this complacency and care, even if it's the last thing he does.

(It'll always be the last thing he does. He's done it in the past eleven, so why is this any exception?)

The next morning they all gathered around while Feliciano decided to reveal to them what he knew. Of a journal and a clock that turns back time, of how he remembers the first time they entered vividly, telling them of how much it tore him apart to see them all like that. That soon led to a round of reassurances.

"Don't worry, Feliciano! Once we're out of here, you can forget about all that because we'll enjoy ice cream and go to carnivals…" Ivan smiled at him, the childish cruelness gone and replaced with genuine care and love.

"…yes and then we can try on those things from Kiku's country… a yukata wasn't it? It looked interesting,"

"Then we could go see fireworks together! I hear that Yao's country is having a festival soon, perhaps it would be nice to visit it, enjoy the music and the games?"

"Then, when we're all tired, we can enjoy a big sleepover, with plenty of pasta and burgers and potatoes and whatever we all want to share with each other!"

"It would be a blast! Oh, and Arthur could host something like a Halloween event. His country _is_ known for ghosts and fantasy!"

As he listened to it, he could help but close his eyes and imagine a different group of people, who while looked similar, looked different in bearing and in name.

He could imagine it already. France singing songs about the wondrous beauty each country has. China cheerfully leading the way as he showed them place after place. Russia happily sharing vodka around and America giving away candies for anyone interested during Halloween. Germany would be making sure Italy didn't miss the New Year Firework that they all decided to see in Japan's house.

He didn't realize how much he longed to see them till he heard them planning these things.

"Alright, so we'll have another name then, that way they can't tie us to the countries we represent." Ludwig suggested nodding at the paper that someone had brought out.

"Let's see… Believe in one another. Help one another. Rely on one another. Also, escape all together."

They talked about their alternative names.

"Luciano sounds like it has a nice ring to it!" Feliciano chimed happily.

Lovino frowned in thought for a while before nodding his head. "Flavio, no one would connect me to something as stupid as that name."

"Lutz seems reasonable. It is short enough to be a nickname or considered as a separate name."

They went on to list their names, Klaus, Kuro, Xiao, Sergei, Allen, Matthieu, Francois, and then it was his turn to pick a name.

"…Oliver," He spoke after going over it for some time. Charles felt a bit too heavy handed and well, Oliver Twist did get a happy end after all that he's gone through.

"Andres!" Spain grinned, no hesitation as he spoke his false name.

"Okay, that's all of us." Ludwig nodded, double checking the names on the paper.

Gilbert mean while teased Matthew on how he simply changed the spelling of his name.

Arthur allowed the teasing jokes and the laidback atmosphere to lull him into a sense of safety.

(He ignored the lingering feeling of confusion, doubt and hopelessness. It isn't the first time loop anymore. They're all alive and well. He kept telling himself so even if it felt like a hazy dreams born from the deepest corners of his mind.)

Antonio's phone rang.

Confused, Antonio picked it up.

Silence, then surprise and he shouted, "The entire world is here to help us?!"

"Entire world? Does he mean-?"

"Yes, Roderich gathered up everybody from the meeting to help us!"

It felt like a blood rush, a zing in the head and the euphoric glee that meant that escape is drawing closer and closer and closer and already he can taste the fresh air on his lips and smell the scent of the surrounding pine wood.

"What are you waiting for?!" Came the muffled voice of Roderich from the phone, "Look outside your window if you don't believe us!"

They rushed to go down, hastily grabbing their weapons and rushing to the closest window.

"They really are here!" Feliciano marvelled. Arthur could see it bright with hope and shining with unshed tears.

"Of course, did you really think we would leave you to escape by yourselves?"

Already, he can spot the Nordic Five and the Baltic Trio. The representative of South Korea is there too, fighting alongside Roderich.

"Stop gawking and start working on getting out!" Roderich scolded, Gilbert grinned.

"Kesese, whatever you say little lord!"

And they were off, Feliciano cheerfully leading the way, going up the top most floor where they met a strange creature Kiku called a mochi. Together, they pulled it from its place and there they found a strange metal…thing.

Feliciano took the metal pieces from them and inserted it, listening to it click.

Then a path way in the form of stairs lead up to where he knew is the room with the moon riddle.

He felt anticipation growing, they were almost there. So close but he still needed to be alert. With his wings out, they entered the bloody room. Arthur wincing and shuddering at the sight of blood, recalling how his own had joined the splatter.

Feliciano closely guarded the button and he simply moved to fin the next lump of magic he could sense.

He found it in the corner, sad and warm. With a sad smile at it, he reabsorbed it into his core, feeling the familiar rush of magic filling the hole that it had left. It should be around 48% now. The rest should be somewhere else.

Still, he knows that with it being above thirty per cent and close to fifty, he can stop it by three seconds now.

"Yayoi…" Kiku mumbled. His eyes sharp as he ordered for them to step away.

"Three and twelve," He said clearly, watching as Francis stepped off number three and Feliciano did the same for number twelve.

Arthur watched almost languidly. Calm and knowing, but stull happy to know they've reached this stage. So close. Still, his wings remained outside, fluttering every once in a while out of anticipation. Feliciano can read his mood and kept his mood happy and cautious, maintaining that mask for the duration of the stage.

"…However, Feliciano revealed that Ludwig, Gilbert and he were the only ones left during this stage of the escape. With only three of them, they can't cover the rest of the numbers. This means that, everyone else should leave their numbers except for numbers three and twelve." Matthew deduced, his fingers rubbing his chin as he looked at them.

"Alright, everyone except Feliciano and Francis, step outside of the numbers." Ludwig ordered, taking a step as well.

Feliciano and Francis stepped back and a door opened.

He took a steadying breath. He has never been able to survive long enough to reach this stage. He took out his knife and the others saw this as a sign to be cautious. He stood next to Francis, familiar with how he fights and in need to the caring aura that naturally surrounds Francis.

As Arthur spread his senses, using his rose tattoo to sense everything, he nearly recoiled in shock.

He could feel it, multiple enemies at once. The auras felt like a disease, like oil sliding into water and forcibly trying to mix. He took a shaky breath and allowed his senses to shrink only focusing on the immediate vicinity of the group. He focused of the happy aura of Feliciano, the calm and steady aura of Ludwig, the energetic tones of Alfred and Antonio, the near invisible aura of Matthew. He listened to the rumbling of Lovino's aura, that grouched and cared in a rough way. He listened to the fluctuating tones of Gilbert and the slightly worried one of Kiku. He could see Yao's bright red aura and Ivan cold, near frosty one.

The aura he focused the most is on Francis' self-assured and loving aura that seemed to blanket all of them, intertwining with all of their bonds of friendship. Those bonds were simple outstretches of an aura, all of them tied but anchored down into place by a certain individual. The anchor of those ties is Feliciano.

"Arthur?" Francis mumbled, "Are you alright? You look a bit pale."

They entered the room before he could answer and Francis's eyes landed on the cage of monsters.

"…I see why you are so pale now, Arthur."

He averted his eyes, but anyone observing him knew how nervous he is being around them by how his wings kept fluttering with tension. Feliciano coldly led the way, his face devoid of anything beyond determination. There must be some horrible memories in here, he's sure.

They entered a room and Feliciano told them about behind the large rock like monster.

"Here we go," Feliciano plucked the key from behind, before he could check its validity, the Thing appeared.

It isn't the same Thing they had encountered before; instead it had a larger head and no torso, as if it was glued together into some strange and horrific. The sight made Feliciano freeze in his place. In those caramel eyes that used to reflect so much love and joy now stole his breath with how blank and dull it is.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig yelled, trying to get his attention.

It drew closer.

"Feliciano!"

No response, not even a sound or a shaky gasp for air. It looked like time stopped for a moment, Ludwig grabbing onto Feliciano's arm, the Thing's arm coated in electricity aiming to swipe at Feliciano and Ludwig. The rest were too far- too scattered to even reach it.

But, there is still a hope. His magic is up to forty per cent, almost fifty, that's enough to keep the leaf tattoo running far more smoothly.

Mind made up (he'll be damned before he would let Feliciano and Ludwig die, not when they're all so close. Not when he spilt his secret and joined a contract, no way! He refuses to let any of them pass.) Arthur activated the leaf tattoo, the glow shining a soft gold colour, a sign of his magic being stronger. His wings spread and in the blink of an eye, he has his hands up for a barrier and he's taking the brunt of the force.

" _Protego maxima!"_ He snarled out, looking this horrible Thing in the eyes and _glaring._

That seemed to snap Feliciano out of it as he and Ludwig ran outside the room, the rest following suite. The only ones who didn't leave were him, Francis, Matthew and Alfred.

"Don't worry, we got your back Art!" Alfred grinned, taking his gun out.

Francis laughed, raising up his sword and winking at Arthur. " _Oui!_ Once we take it down, we'll head back to the room with the others."

"You got that right," Matthew shot an arrow, the weapon hit its mark and the Thing howled in pain.

Francis moved to slice through it and Arthur took to the air.

It was a sight to behold. All four of them were working in tandem, as if moving to the beats of unheard music. The only beats that could be heard are the whistling of wind as arrows whizzed by and the sound of gunshots. Arthur has been doing this long enough to know where to go and when to dive. He could feel it in the way the wind shifted and the sounds of his companions.

They worked, unrelentingly until it multiplied into two.

" _Sacre bleu!"_ Francis growled out as they watched it split in half, the other one now having a single leg and messed up proportions on the side.

"We have to get out of here!" Matthew shouted.

Alfred shot the last round of bullets at those Things and hastily reloaded his gun. "Well said, Mattie!"

They all began backing away to the entrance, Arthur staying behind as Alfred and Matthew got out first. He used his magic to put up a temporary barrier inside that room and ran, wincing as he felt the strain of upholding three things at a time.

He could feel the barrier absorbing pressure from the two Things, using his wings and the power boost of the leaf to keep going. The only thing in his mind is keeping his friends alive.

The moment they entered the room with the moon riddle, the barrier broke. Wincing, Arthur knew that his magic is closer to depletion than he expected it to be.

"What is it, Arthur?" Francis asked out of concern as they kept running, going as fast as they could. With those Things on their tail though, they knew they can't lead it to the room their friends are in.

So they ran to the library.

They ran with all their might, hoping to lose them here.

However, it didn't go as planned. Francis is nursing a slice on his arm, Alfred has a wound around his midsection that needs tending to and Matthew looked so pale he was practically a ghost.

"Guys, I want you to run as fast as you can to where our friends our, I'll catch up."

He won't die. Not today, not like this and not when this is so close.

"Arthur!" Francis shouted, tears forming in his eyes.

"Go! I'll be fine!" He shouted, lifting his arms up and gathering his magic.

This will leave him blind. He has no doubt about it.

" _Mon dieu…"_ He heard Francis mutter under his breath before saying, "Arthur, if this is the end then… Then I love you!"

Arthur turned back to smile at him, "I know…" He reflected on his feelings this time.

"I love you too."

Francis bit back a sob and ran with prompting from Alfred and Matthew.

"It's just you and me now, huh?" Arthur grinned viciously at them. "It's time for you to learn why the gentlemen always comes before the hero shall we?"

The world bathed itself in flashing lights and echoed with screams and cries.

" **yOu wILl nOT eScaPE…"** The clone and the original said at the same time as they hobbled around in hopes of grabbing him.

He winced as the creep of exhaustion, even if it's taking longer thanks to the leaf, began to slow him down.

"You won't get them this time!" He snarled out, magic flying around as he used it to shield himself.

His eyes felt like they were on fire, glowing with magic as they are. He could barely see as lightning strikes and magic lights lit the room. He has to do something. He took a deep breath and _decided_.

To hell with his eyesight! He'd rather live and escape with everyone than force Feliciano to go back again in order to save him too! He knows he won't be able to get out of here without sacrificing something and if that something has to be his eyesight then so be it!

He pooled his magic into destroying the two enemies in front of him.

All he needs is a clear shot. Just one clear shot of them both, Arthur breathed in.

Almost, he could see it as they lined up together, lightning flashing around their bodies. Oh. They're preparing like he s aren't they.

No matter, the gentleman is always faster.

One… He took a deep breath, magic gathered and begging to be released.

Two… Almost there, he can hear the way the lightning crackled.

Three!

They were fully aligned now and before they can even use their attack, he released his magic.

Arthur gritted his teeth as he slid back from the original blast. It must have happened when his magic collided with whatever they had in store. The world is blurry now but he knows that it worked. He can see the runes glowing around those Things.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

In a flash of green light, they disintegrated, turning into ashes and he fell to his knees, the wings going back to tattoos and the leaf now in dimly glowing, grappling for energy to give him via the ones stored in his jewellery.

Emergency storages, he thought as he forced himself up, he should have known they would be useful someday.

* * *

As he hobbled along, blind and exhausted he stumbled to where he knows the room to be. He can't see when his magic sight is so hampered, his magic brought to its lowest and forcing him to move around the normal way; with sound and touch. It's odd, moving around like this but, he's somewhat trained for it by now. So used as he is to the world falling dark.

He can blearily hear them talking, exhaustion muddling with his head as he tried to listen for them.

"-I sure hope he's alright." Oh, is that Alfred?

It must be because he can hear Francis' voice, tight with anxiety and heavy with determination. "I do not doubt it, Arthur is a strong man."

"I know it's just that- Wait? Is that?" Alfred must have seen him. He smiled as he switched the leaf of.

Exhaustion immediately grabbed at him, dragging him down to the floor as he fell, too tired to even bother.

"Arthur!" Francis yelled as he ran to catch him.

Arthur smiled at nothing in particular, unseeing green eyes hazed as he simply gazed up.

"H…hello Francis, let me… take a- take a nap…."

He dropped, arms limp and breathing steady as he fell into a deep sleep.

"Dude!" Alfred shouted as he saw Francis carry Arthur's limp body. "Is he-Is he, you know…" He made a cutting motion, going from left to right over his neck. Blue eyes shining with worry as he gazed at the hazy green eyes that stared at nothing.

Francis shook his head, " _Non_ , he is alive if not exhausted."

"Let's put him on a bed then, hopefully, he isn't like, blind or anything." Alfred took one last glance at the sleeping man and led the way back to the safe room.

Arthur woke up to voices and the world bathed in darkness, his magic recovered and Feliciano crying over him.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Arthur. You-you're blind again, aren't you?"

He simply smiled, using his magic sense to look at Feliciano. "Sorry, it had to be done. I refuse for our chance to all get out to end like that."

"We tried the key on the front door earlier…" Alfred sounded defeated, frustrated.

"It didn't work, did it?" If it did work, then they would already be out of there, received and saved by the rest of the representatives.

"No, it did not," Francis replied, Arthur sat up, placing a hand on Francis' shoulder.

"I'm sure you had someone alert Roderich and the rest?"

Ludwig nodded but then realized he couldn't _technically_ see his movements and hummed instead. "We had alerted Roderich and he reminded us to look for the Annexe. Kiku here found the door with my brother and so, we decided to wait for you to recover before heading down there ourselves."

Arthur summoned Scones. The cat yawned and moved in front of him. He brought out his wings. His magic has fully recovered after that rest. He supposed it's another bonus of the roses that isn't mentioned, or was it? He stopped reading the profile itself and instead checked the number of time loops he's been in instead along with his magic.

Well, he won't ever know anymore, he can only see physical objects, hmm, he could liken it to that television show that America was obsessed with. Avatar, wasn't it? He remembered from America's ramblings that there was a blind girl named Toph who saw the world using her earth bending senses. It's much similar to that, being able to see only physical outlines but without the hindrance of being unable to see what is in the air.

He ignored the dull ache, already used to it. Instead, Arthur focused on getting out of there. He could feel the dictionary in his breast pocket. One of the words encircled is the word 'Annexe' so there must be a connection right?

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He turned to his friends. "Let's go."

They moved to the Annexe.

He had to tell them repeatedly of the fact he can still see somewhat, telling Alfred about how it's much like Toph's eyesight. (He wasn't into the show. Arthur merely remembered the rants that America had done about Avatar: the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.) Alfred understanding and as such, reminding them he isn't handicapped.

As he stayed at the back, holding his knife, he sensed Francis' aura moving to his side.

"Arthur," The French man mumbled, "I…I want to know, before anything like _that_ happens again."

"I…" Arthur wasn't sure what to say. Did he truly love Francis again? Or was it a simple fleeting feeling of love?

He recalled the way his heart clenched at the thought of Francis dying, the man having been set apart from his original incarnation. France would have argued with him in order to make hi see his mistakes, Francis brought it up gently. France would have picked a fight with him out of concern. Francis would lead him to the bed and use his words to make him stay.

So alike and yet so different in the subtler ways, Arthur couldn't help but be able to separate them. Perhaps, it was to help him cope with the fact that he knows they aren't his.

"I, I wouldn't say love you but the emotion is there, perhaps… After all of this is said and done, we could…you know? Try it out?" He felt nervous, even if he knew he probably will not even be the one to try things out.

Francis relaxed, and held out his hand. Smiling at him, the man replied, "I-I would like that, _mon ange._ "

Arthur raised an eyebrow but smiled back at him. "If I'm the angel, then who would you be?"

"Ah, why the human who fell in love with your utter perfection of course," Francis winked and Arthur knew that when he left this play, the original Arthur would be treated properly.

(He never doubted that after he's done with the play, the original Arthur would take back the place he's been occupying. It's a way to stem the guilt, because then, he knows that at least they'll deal with the aftermath and that can be just as interesting as what had happened. It may be more than guilt speaking though, not when it seems to imply that he's taking the place of the person he's playing as… England decided to leave that thought for when he isn't stuck in a haunted mansion with a murderous monster.)

"Hey! If you love birds are done then hurry up!" Gilbert yelled. He's sure those red eyes are shining with mischief.

Arthur and Francis flushed but rushed to catch up with the rest.

They entered down the Annexe, Arthur telling them if there's anything to watch out for in the (apparently) dark area. Scones being the first to head in, sniffing the ground and leading the group until they finally reached it. Already, Arthur can feel magic pulsing everywhere and he sent Scones to retrieve it while the rest of them scattered to search the place, after Arthur alerted them to look for the lumps of magic.

Soon, Scones and the rest came back and reported their findings, Arthur having stayed to guard the door.

"Pile the magic in the center," Arthur instructed, feeling the hum and the thrum from their collected magic. He absorbed it and felt the rush of energy that came with gaining it back.

 _ **Magic Level: 100%**_

 _ **Unlocked: Rune Mastery**_

How..? Never mind, Arthur shook his head. This world stopped making sense the moment he fell down a dirt hole in the garden after a world meeting.

"Feel anything?" Feliciano looked at him curiously, or at least, Arthur's pretty sure he is with the tone of his voice.

Arthur nodded his head. "I feel better already! My magic took a huge leap from half to full. What exactly did you find?"

Kiku shifted slightly, "Er, I was the one who found an orb held by this strange statue. It…It honestly resembled you if you had bat wings and horns. In front of it was you with angel wings."

"Aiyaa… It was so strange! I found this statue of me with a Dragon's Pearl at the base of my neck, surrounded by a bunch of others that looked like people we know in real life, like Kiku, you, that Lars guy and even Leon! When I took the pearl, it turned out to be your magic!" Yao explained, revealing that most of the orbs they found were from statues that sound like they came from his previous plays.

"Well, I'm glad you guys were able to find it, now, I can use runes to help you sense whether or not there's an enemy nearby." He used his hand to draw the runes of protection, adding in the rune for sensing and tweaking it to be danger specific, cold for allies, hot for enemies.

The rune manifested on the back of their hands and Arthur nodded at his handy work. "There, it should grow cold when an ally is near and warm when you're closer to danger."

Francis moved to hug him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. " _Merci, mon ange._ Stay safe, I know you can handle yourself but…"

Arthur pecked him on the lips. "I'll be fine, we're almost there, alright love?"

Francis squeezed his hand and they listened to the reports, Ludwig telling them of a locked door he found on the West side while Gilbert spoke of finding a similar one to the East. Matthew hummed in thought.

"Hey, Arthur? Do you still have that dictionary?"

Arthur handed it over and Matthew took it gratefully.

"One of the words in here is the word, 'Annexe' which means that this is related to the Annexe we're in. The rest of the words begin with the letters, 'E' 'S', 'T' and 'W'. If you arrange it, it should spell the word 'WEST'. As such the way to go between these two doors must be west."

They walked westwards.

He closed his eyes (it's not like it made a difference anyway) and stretched out his magic senses.

He could feel something close by that felt like the sea and walked towards it as everyone argued over how to open the door.

"It's locked! Not only that but there are holes on it with no handle, how can that even work?" Lovino repeated to Antonio who had suggested busting through it.

"I can confirm it to be reinforced steel," Alfred said, a hand on the door as he pressed against it, familiar with the material after having to work with it for most of his life. The man had grown up building and he'd have to be blind with every bone in his body broken before he would be unable to recognize these sorts of things.

"So, we have to find a way to open it then…"

He reached out to it and felt something circular, smooth polished as if it's made of glass. When he brought it with him to give to them, Matthew pointed out the design.

"It has a design of waves on it."

"Will this be of any use?" Arthur asked, handing it to Ludwig.

Ludwig took it and nodded his head. "Perhaps there are more of these things to find."

"Hey, potato! I found this," Lovino lifted up an orb that felt like the steady earth.

"It has a rock design, you can hold onto that for now, Lovino."

Lovino nodded. "Right,"

France held an orb that reminded him of the wind and Feliciano found one that ticked like a clock, apparently it has a clock painted on it.

"So we have four orbs," Matthew mumbled to himself, "Wind, Earth, Sea and Time… Ludwig, try and see if the orb you're holding fits in the hole."

Ludwig did as told and they heard a click.

"It fits." Ivan said incredulously.

There's a good reason why Arthur likes to avoid being blind. It puts a damper on his ability to see their expressions. The only thing he can actually see is the fluctuation of their aura. Arthur sighed as he 'watched' them put the orbs in the same order as the letters were arranged, the door clicking open and allowing a draft of wind to enter.

Is this it? Are they free?

"We're not yet free guys," Feliciano said grimly, clenching his fists. "We still have to get out of the premises with the rest of the representatives."

He felt the presence of that Thing behind and flew to dodge a strike. With his magic, he pushed it backwards in order to give them a head start.

"Run!"

Scones must have dismissed itself already. He can sense the wounded areas that resembled claw marks to not be suspicious. Scones must have delayed it before it could reach them while they solved the puzzle.

Arthur used his wings to fly ahead, using his magic to shoot a signal flare above to gain attention.

"Hey! We're out!" He shouted, causing the representatives to cheer.

The rest is a blur, as he and the rest began running away, Natalia stepping in to give support along with the rest of the Magic trio. Norway's representative summoned a troll to delay it for a moment while Romania's simply gave them an energy boost. The exit must have been from the back as they went around the mansion, Roderich and the South Korean representative coming in and aiding them as the rest of the representatives escaped.

Soon they reached the gate and Arthur saw white.

They are finally free.

* * *

 **I am so so sorry for the delay! To make up for it, I made it longer! (not on purpose though!) I have three chapters left for you guys! But yes! Arthur and co. are out of the mansion and I made another (albeit simple puzzle). Seriously, I feel proud that this is in fact the longest chapter out of them all, having been twice the size of the previous chapter. To be honest, I expected it to be the same size as 'Tick Tock' only for it to end up bigger. Still, I had fun writing this! I would like to apologize if there's any problems with the ending. To me, the ending felt a bit too simple but, well, I was at a loss on what to add. I hope you enjoyed reading this! Have a good day! (Or night!)**

 **Je suis follement amoureuse de vous- 'I am madly in love with you' or at least, I hope it means that because I used the lovely help of google to find something that means 'I'm madly in love with you' for romance.**

 **On a side note regarding the pairing, well I figured I should go with the good old FrUk seeing as there's plenty enough of it in the game.**

 **(Psst, I hope the name is actually cool because I just combined the words 'Chrono' with 'nology'.)**


	18. Chapter 18: Arrive

**Fallen**

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 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **No more request seeing as I'm wrapping this up!**

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Chapter 18: Arrive

* * *

England woke up with tears flowing down his face. He looked around in confusion only to realize he isn't out of the gates of that mansion or anything of that matter. He's in the room and surrounded by items he hasn't seen in a while. The first thing he decided to check being his sketchbook.

He drew what he remembered while it was still fresh, the sight of all of them alive and gathered around a large table, laughing as they chatted about a vacation in Japan. It's bright and cheerful and if England thought about it, it looked as if they weren't trapped in at all. The next showed them in the cage with Feliciano crying in front of it. It's dim and grey as they assure him that it isn't his fault even as Feliciano walked away.

The drawings are happy, sad, emotional, scary as he moved on to show the dreams, the clock visions, everything. He poured it out of his mind, ignoring the scones that the room provided as he drew and drew and drew until he reached the end, depicting them all outside the gate, the outside being white even if the shadow of the monster lay behind them.

Once finished, he ate as if he will never will again, savouring the taste of well-made scones and earl grey tea. He should probably check what the next play is, it would be nice to be able to brace himself for it and pick up the pieces after that one.

His eyes drifted to where the poster, clock, whatever it is laid and instead he found a door. It resembled the door to the mansion, large mahogany varnished and designed lavishly. The door is engraved with vines curling around each other and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Is it true? Is it real? He moved to touch it, feeling the engraved wood.

Solid.

He was about to open the door knob when a note popped up in front of him.

' _Don't open the door yet unless you packed everything you want to take with you. Once you open it, you're out of here. Good luck!'_

He used his magic to open an excess space and placed everything that wasn't on his immediate person in there. The sketchbook, the Scones plushie, the bird carving, he put them all there. The jewellery stayed on his person. He's not willing to part with them.

Soon, it was done and he gave one last look at the room and at himself. A mirror appearing before him at the thought.

He looked like he did when he was a pirate, all jewellery inscribed with places to bring his body to in order to regenerate and start over again. His tattoos are hidden beneath long sleeves of his white shirt, the vest a light brown. His pants and his shoes are black and he reaches for his blazer. His eyes seem brighter than they have before and he mumbled to himself.

"I am England, otherwise known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."

He's free to go. As he walked, he noticed the slow and heavy gait of his walk towards the door. He's almost home.

He opened it and never looked back.

As he exited the room, he realized that he's falling. England let the smile grace his lips, so in the end, he fell to get in and he will fall to get out.

The world seemed to phase through colours, before he realized it was his previous plays playing out before him.

A park where he met a criminal who still loved him, a job as a teacher and a soul mate whose arms match his, a life as a student who is tied to the ruler of the Moon Kingdom and a meeting with himself, he recalls the way he acquired Scones. He remembers how he became a spy and then a demon that fought against the army of Heaven.

As scenes played out, he could hear them talking.

 _"I see people in love, people feeling love, and I wonder whether or not I am worth being loved."_

 _"You are worth being loved and more, Yao. I may have loved but I…I'm learning to move past the pains back then."_

He remembers that, he stole flowers from Yao that time. It was always on his way to a grave of two people he's never met.

 _"I look forward to seeing you again,"_

 _"Oh, Matthew, have a good night,"_

Matthew, ah yes, he can recall the autumn leaves on that night. It lasted for a short amount and he never really did fall in love in the long term. Hungary's counterpart made an appearance, as did Francis. Looking back at it, the love must have been amplified by 'Aphrodite'.

 _"Then tell me, damn it, you can't just run off and do something without alerting me. At this rate, I might be the first one to have grey hairs!"_

 _"I can use my magic to get me down safely and like I said, I have you. I trust you to catch me, anyway,"_

Lovino, England realized. They were a pair of an angel and a demon with him as the angel. The month it took to grow it was uncomfortable to say the least. He could recall how much it had hurt at first to see a former love become an enemy.

 _"Here, as an apology, you can borrow the book first,"_

Vash.

 _"May I…?"_

 _"Please,"_

João, he's Portugal's counterpart yes?

 _"I see, I see! Thank you so much for your help Gilbert,"_

 _"Ah, what can I say? I'm glad to be of service, Arthur,"_

Gilbert. They man who was an enemy became a friend and more.

 _"I have a younger sister, adopted by magic. I…care about her,"_

 _"I fell in love many times and each time it ended before I could say good bye."_

That one was odd. It was a harem sort of romance, people falling for him as he played 'god in disguise' was slightly strange but there is a slight soul mate element to it so he figured it was alright.

Then the ticking of a clock as it showed his various time loops.

He didn't look at it closely as he closed his eyes. He's went through enough of that blasted mansion to block out the words.

He ended up having to climb out of the hole physically, his elbows digging into the ground as he pulled himself out. He brushed the dirt off of him, looking down he watched as it closed up, leaving behind solid ground.

Out of habit he reached for the notebook and checked it, only to see a story instead. It's his story, filled with chapter names. The only thing it missed is an author and a title.

"Bloody hell," He mumbled as he realized the pages are filled until it ended with him exiting the room. With a sigh, he began to walk, checking his watch. Come to think of it, he left something in the world meeting room right? He didn't bring his bag with him on the walk.

As he did so, he passed by a calendar. Days had passed apparently, he noticed the fact the date has been crossed out and left behind with the other days.

He ignored that for now, instead focusing on getting his bag.

The sun is already setting, which is good because he'd rather avoid the other countries. He's not in the mood to see them, not when the memories are still fresh.

He took his bag and checked the lighter in there. Good, England nodded in satisfaction, he'll go and check if the mansion is actually there, if so then he's burning it down. Nobody truly needs to know.

He hummed to himself as he travelled, he followed the rumours he had practically memorised by now, the references to going to that place ingrained as he arrived at his destination.

Nothing, not even the gates were there, instead it's a clearing with flowers and a stunning view. It's barely been touched by any human hand.

"It's not here." He said out loud, shock and joy mixing together as he watched the sunset through the spaces between the trees, the light making the experience even better.

"It's not here!" He shouted once more. He set down his bag and decided to draw the sight before him. He figured it would be a nice way to end the day. Then, he'll head back.

He spent the rest of the time drawing the setting sun, the colours he had taken with him making it shine with a hope that filled him with a warm joy. England smiled as tears pooled in his eyes as he finished it.

"My name is England, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." He said to himself, reminding himself that he isn't Arthur. Not now, not here and not anymore. "I fell down a hole and I climbed out with my mind, my heart and my soul still intact even if my name was changed and my direction kept changing."

He kept the sketchpad and allowed himself to remember a time of old that is simple and young. It felt much like the rush when he managed to master a spell, the zing that made his heart leap and his smiles all the more giddy as he ran through the forests with the joy of the hunt. He remembered the feeling of when he came home after a war, both tired and victorious.

He couldn't help himself as he sang a song of triumph, the last light of day shining on his blond hair and making his emerald green eyes glitter. At the very least, he knew he was home. It mattered and in a way, it symbolised a lot to dance upon the empty lot where the mansion had resided in.

Unknown to him, he wasn't alone for in the shadows of the woods, he was being watched. The world meeting was hosted by Japan after all.

Japan froze behind the tree he hid behind. Why is England so happy? Where did he even disappear too? All the countries figured he had to leave early for the preparation for the wedding and then afterwards didn't answer any of his phone calls, text messages or emails due to internal country strife or something along those lines. It isn't unusual for the man to go quiet and enjoy his alone time, especially after what Japan figured to be the worst world meeting as of yet.

(He can easily recall the paper Prussia was writing on before he yelled 'Bingo!' in less than ten minutes. That was quite strange.)

England's laughter sounded free. Like listen to bells as a breeze comes by or when under the knowledge that a person is truly free from restraint. The man spun around and Japan felt nervous, he felt as if he's intruding on something private. Perhaps it's simply something of England's culture? The man sang and laughed and danced under the moonlight, his smile glowing as fireflies came from their hiding place to dance alongside him.

Japan didn't know what the man was doing here and why he was dancing. All he knew was that England looked happier than he had in years.

Soon England managed to gather himself from his dance and his song, the morning light kissing all that it came into contact with. He should leave. Anyway, he knows that he wasn't missed much. He often enters a period of quiet to recover from how taxing the meetings are.

So he left Japan as quickly as possible and came back to his home. His mind instantly gaining memories from what had happened during his absence, England smiled, he'll have to catch up and quickly now.

Japan decided to keep quiet about what he saw, there's no doubt that something had happened.

For now though, he simply told the rest that England's done resting.

(He doesn't know why he feels as if England will treat them differently. He doesn't know why he feels as if he should make sure England is safe. All he knows is that England looked happier than he did in a while now and that was because he was freely dancing under the moon.)

* * *

 **Yay! Here's the next chapter! That's right, done and over much like that! England is now back home but he has yet to see the other countries, also Japan seeing England enjoy the realization that he really is home. :P** **(Looks like my Asakiku is showing whoops)** **It isn't as long as the previous chapter but to be fair that was a monster of a chapter. (Seriously! I essentially had to work through the entire game and then some!) Then we have the little tidbits of past chapter quotes while England is falling down. It's a nice call back isn't it?**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	19. Chapter 19: Home Bittersweet Home

**Fallen**

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 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaKiku, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **No more request seeing as I'm wrapping this up!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Home Bittersweet Home

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The next few days were a blur for England. Rain, shine, run around, play the violin, catch up, explain what had happened (or at least, an alibi of sorts) and then go and sleep. Even then, his dreams felt more like living nightmares, memories of him being blinded, his horns being snapped, his wings being cut off, being electrocuted. It hurt almost as much as much as it hurts listening to Alfred and Ivan and Kiku and Yao and all those who fell in love with him realize that he was simply doing it to get back home.

They all felt betrayed, hurt, angered by the fact. Lovino cussing him out, Antonio looking carefully blank, Ivan giving the same anger that he gave him as a contracted killer, Kiku cutting the thread coldly, Yao glaring at him with a scowl on his face, it hurt. When he woke up, expecting a white room only to see his ceiling decorated and his room furnished. On those time, he simply plays on the violin, the first thing he had ever received from the room, too tired to draw his nightmares and too emotional to try and go back to sleep.

When England does draw, it's always as if he missed them, though he drew the darker sides of his nightmares. Being bling, having his wings ripped off, being electrocuted, his horns broken, the list goes on and on. He drew the sweeter moments, when his dreams are actually dreams. He could remember the sight of the bluebell woods as he frolicked with Gilbert chasing after him. The way they laughed so freely, or the way he waited for Kiku to join him on the grassy hill, the red string drawing closer and closer. It's all a jumbled mess sometimes, was the Ivan he saw the Spy or the Hitman? The Alfred might go from Criminal to Agent in a blink and Yao could go from Gardener to Dragon to his human self.

It's as dizzying as one would expect it to be and the worst thing that England feels is that, on the loneliest of nights, after he finished catching up and trying to play his normal self, he simply goes through his sketchbook and dreams. He dreams of a straightforward goal, go through the play, get out, rinse and repeat.

Maybe, he simply feels tired. Because even if he's home, he still plays pretend. He can't hide the fact he's been through this and act as if nothing has changed after all because- because something _has_ changed. In times of regret, he goes through his garden, a slight reminder of Yao in his mind and Yao's wise words. In times of calmness, he finds himself looking for a hill and sitting there for hours, as if waiting for something to arrive. In times of trouble, he finds himself running through the forests of his home, free of any inhibition.

His every move and every hope is affected by his experience, after all, how can it not? How can it not affect him when he spent so long opening his eyes to a white ceiling and a blank room? How can he remain unchanged when he finds himself still looking around for the poster, the clock with bloody numbers, ready to see what the next play has in store?

With the arrival of another meeting, (so soon, he thinks even though he's been gone for long enough to have another meeting in a month when he came back) England knew it was his turn to host the meeting and as such, planned accordingly.

Time to done the same mask, and even if he doesn't have a profile to guide him on how to act, he knows how to do so anyway.

* * *

America's first thought when he realized that England's the one hosting the next world meeting was to apologize for the last one. After all, normally after England's short 'vacation' of silence, the man goes back to checking up on America.

That is to say, he used to. The man must have really been tired from the last meeting if he hasn't yet so he figured he had to apologize for whatever it was that he said.

He hummed, the pushing the candy in his mouth around absentmindedly. Hopefully the guy isn't _too_ mad. Then he'd have to make himself eat those charcoal lumps he calls scones in order to make up to him! Don't get him wrong, America cares for the guy, but not to the extent that he can stomach those things! Bleh, America thought focusing on the flavour of the candy to remove the imagined taste of burned scone.

Mind made up, America set to work with getting the guy an apology gift. Hmm, maybe a good old chocolate box should do it! Some sort of flavour that really says, 'I'm sorry', mint chocolate maybe? Oh wasn't England telling him about the rarity of Peanut butter flavoured candies over there? Yeah, that can work, America nodded as a plan formed in his mind.

All he has to do, he thought swallowing the candy, is get some goodies for England, apologize sincerely and then England would be apologizing for how he's been treating him and them he'll offer up something like Kinder eggs for him to eat. He grinned. Time to start his master plan!

* * *

France frowned as he paced back and forth. England had not even instigated much of a fight against him in a while now! He hasn't been scolded for his behaviour in the meeting, drilled him about what he should be acting like while in his country or pointedly reminded of the time he went to England and insulted their alcohol

Well, to be fair, compared to lovely French wine it simply doesn't match. He should bring some with him if he wants to survive a day without good wine and argh! He's getting side tracked again.

He is worried about his good friend, who wouldn't be when they've been close since they were young? (Though France can admit that their relationship is a friendly enemy deal or is it an antagonistic friendship? Focus, France, focus!) He cleared his throat. Maybe he should bring some good old fashion French pastries. England is such a sweets person, something about how pastries and tea go well together. Yes, French pastries would go well with whatever blasted leaf water he wants to eat it with.

Still, what should he get? He can't act too concerned or else England would be suspicious of what he gives him.

France sighed as he sat down and poured himself a glass. What should he do?

* * *

Meanwhile, Japan decided to do a little digging with his camera. He was lucky that he took a video of England using his phone camera but… Was it right? As he replayed the video, his curiosity took hold of him. It's private, Japan is sure of that. Whatever happened while England went quiet must have done something to do with that unhinged joy. Something's…wrong, why would England know that place when it isn't his own country? The only one who knew of that place is Japan and even then, he barely paid any mind beyond making sure it's flora and fauna are well protected.

He should investigate this.

* * *

China simply packed and prepared, his meetings notes ready, even if he's practically memorised the thing.

Russia smiled at the thought of seeing all the countries who he can convince to be his friends.

Germany sighed as he packed some aspirin. He's going to need it if he's going to survive this meeting.

Prussia laughed as he prepared the next 'World Meeting Bingo' sheet. Hopefully he won't have a bingo until _after_ ten minutes has passed this time. He glanced at the scowling Germany and decided to pack some beer for him as well. Hopefully West won't have to keep them in control for every few minutes. Here is to hoping England wouldn't fight with France, America or both of them at once.

Italy and Romano talked in hushed whispers. Italy told his brother of that weird dream he had of all of them being stuck in a mansion, it was super scary! Romano frowned but didn't take his words lightly, informing Italy of his own dream about them getting out of the very mansion Italy had described.

* * *

To both of them, it was a horrible dream that made them aware of how much they cared for each other, to their Grandpa Rome, it was a message to keep an eye out for that England boy. That plot hole was sent by the boy's mother but she doesn't have any control over what the room forces him to do other than with the clear objective of making him less prickly towards the other nations.

Still, even he's not willing to send his boys through that sort of thing. The last person who went down a plot hole was young Holy Roman Empire. He never really made it out intact, having ended up a shell of his own self, his mind shattered from too many realities beating him down with the only thing keeping him from truly breaking being the push broom that Italy had given him.

Rome sighed, he tried to persuade Britannia not to do it but she would not be deterred, telling him that she the difference between that plot hole and this is that she simply wanted to soften him up instead of making him stronger. Rome looked at Germany. After that plot hole with Holy Rome, Germania has never sent another. Prussia had been devastated when France had told him about the pitiful state the Holy Roman Empire was in when he found the boy. White as a sheet, hazy eyes and clutching a push broom as he repeatedly said something that suspiciously sounded like a sentence on loop.

" _I am not Otto. I am not Otto. I am not Otto."_

It broke his heart when he had witnessed that and in the end, France put him out of his misery.

Hopefully Britannia's boy won't be shattered when he sees the rest.

"Rome." Germania went up to him. "Are you worrying over Britannia's child?"

"Of course I am," Rome confessed, his eyes never straying from the boy as he played his music.

Germania placed a hand on his shoulder, "He's much stronger than he looks Rome. There's no need to worry over him."

"I said something similar when you worried over Holy Rome." It's not an accusation.

Germania frowned. "Britannia's son is a former Empire who took over more than you and I have ever conquered."

"All countries rise and fall," He should know, he's a prime example of it.

Germania's eyes softened at this as he replied. "Times have changed and he's strong, look at him."

And Rome did, he saw instead of a young scruffy boy a proper gentleman that looked calmer than he did before the plot hole.

"I feel that I have to keep an eye on him, why do you think I gave my boys a glimpse of the last dimension he went through?"

Germania kept his mouth shut as the two of them watched over England, silent as a stone as they watched him play away his fears.

Britannia hoped that England wouldn't break down when he sees the rest. She hoped that her decision hasn't hurt him instead of healed him.

She didn't realize an entire day had passed until it had and now, she's about to find out.

* * *

As each country went to the meeting, England felt slightly nervous. Will he slip up and call them by their human names? Will he break down, his mind flashing with scenes long gone and yet still remembered? What if he breaks down out of happiness because he knows they're alright?

He took a deep breath. His bag has his sketchbook and the colouring materials he often favoured. His ring is hidden in his pocket and his tattoos are hidden by his sleeves. The earring is dangling behind a mess of hair that he made sure would cover it and the necklace in under his shirt. The bracelet is underneath the sleeve, pressed flush against his skin. If he looked at himself, he would look as if there wasn't any sign of the mementos left from his time in the hole.

It's now or never.

* * *

 **Am I evil yet? I might be counted as evil but hey! I was supposed to update tomorrow but seeing as class was suspended thanks to the monsoon rains here it is! Speaking of school, I should probably do my math homework... Oh well! Next chapter would be the reactions. I hope you enjoyed the bit with the Ancients over there as well as doing a bit of explaining over the plot hole. (It just wrote itself naturally!) I hope you all enjoyed this! Have a nice day! (Or night!)**


	20. Chapter 20: I'm Fine (Not Fine)

**Fallen**

* * *

 **Summary: England falls down a literal plot hole and must go through as many prompts as he can in order to go dig himself up to the surface.**

 **Note: Many ships are going to sail and sink FrUk, UsUk, AsaJapan, it's an entire English Armada and a lot of AUs are going to be here.**

 **No more request seeing as this is the last chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 20: I'm Fine (Not Fine)

* * *

England entered the room, he's glad that he arrives on time and as such, is one of the few who are early. With the time, he can allow himself to adjust slowly to seeing them. Germany is the first one he sees, the man nodding at him and going back to his notes. Then he sees America, who despite popular belief is actually incredibly punctual. (He likes to think it's his influence shining through.)

"Hey there, Iggy," America smiled at him, holding a box full of American candies. "I'm sorry about the last meeting, I know we all had a rough time and your silent period lasted longer than usual so here!"

England took the candies (he hoped it didn't taste like pasta, he can recall the many times he had to give his candy rations to the others) and nodded respectfully. "Er, Thank you A-America," He cursed himself. He almost called him 'Alfred'. The bomber jacket should separate him from the others he's met so that should be of use.

America raised an eyebrow but didn't fuss. Instead he grinned, gave him a thumbs up and went back on his merry way. England sighed and placed the box within his bag. He can look over it later. As he took his own seat with his designated name, France approached him.

" _Bonjour, Angleterre!"_

He hid a wince by glaring at France. He was startled! Hearing French being spoken by _him_ when it's not _him_ that confessed his love and called him an angel, it was jarring.

"What do you want you bloody frog?" _I miss you but I know it's not you._ England wanted to scream. He can remember Francis _(Not France, he's human. It will never be what he wants it to be and how he thinks it to be.)_

France produced a box of French desserts and pastries. "It would be terribly unattractive if someone didn't acknowledge their own faults, and as such, I felt it necessary to apologize to the host about my previous behaviour."

" _Even if you're blind your eyes still look lovely!" Francis exclaimed. It felt nice, to be reassured that something never change. "Just like staring into emeralds, I could look at them forever!"_

 _No you do not, Arthur thought, he knew Francis blamed himself but it had to happen._

England scowled but took the pastries anyway. "Such big words for a simpleton like you!"

France's smile seemed to strain as he replied. "I'm glad you enjoyed the gift, _black sheep of Europe._ "

England soaked in the words with a barely hidden smile, hiding it behind a snarl. " _You're welcome, you wine chugging git."_ His heart ached for some reason. Why does it ache when he knows it's not Francis?

Before a fight could happen, Japan approached him and greeted him, pretending to have noticed him a while ago. "Hello, England. I did not see you there. I hope your journey back from my house went well?"

England felt like melting at the sight of Japan, dressed in traditional kimono in order to represent his country well. The kimono itself looks like the same one he wore as the Moon Emperor.

" _No need to call me Emperor, my fated one,"_

He could feel the necklace on his neck as if it was burning him.

"It went well. You were a wonderful host, Japan." He complimented easily.

The rest of the attending countries raised an eyebrow at the lack of fluster and how he easily complimented the person but paid it no mind. He must have enjoyed a good cup of tea, or maybe his long period of silence made him feel less stressed.

"Ah," Japan blushed, "You are also a good host England. If you may excuse me, I shall go prepare my notes for the meeting."

England smiled and allowed Japan to go, and prepared his notes as well, moving the sketchbook and colouring materials aside to do so. He didn't realise that his sketchbook would be peeking out of the bag due to his carelessness.

* * *

America noticed the sketchbook but didn't think anything weird about it. The only thing, well, confusing about England is the way he stumbles on his words, as if he was about to say something else.

"-Germany's right, we have to work together if we're going to be working on our problems! A-America, are you even listening to what we're saying?!" England growled out.

There, that's what he means. He stumbles at the beginnings of their names as if he was going to say something else. When he's addressing Russia, he tends to stumble with saying 'I' before saying something else, but that's normal considering that it's _Russia._ But the rest of the countries, that's not a normal thing. He sounds like he's going to use the letter 'L' for Germany (America's not sure where the connection is but it's somehow there), 'Y' for China (though maybe that's because he's about to say something like 'You should stop selling food in a conference!' but stopped out of politeness?) and so on.

"I'm calling a break," England sighed, noticing how tired all of them are, even noting that Germany had taken an aspirin after he said that.

The countries all spread out and England left to walk through the gardens.

* * *

America walked to catch up to France as Japan followed him, keeping an eye out for his best friend.

"Hey, France! Wait up," America tapped him on the shoulder. France smiled as he turned to America.

" _Oui?_ What is it, America?" France moved to the side of the corridor they were walking in as Japan silently drifted towards them, his phone clutched in his hands.

"Well, have you noticed anything _wrong_ with England? Like, he isn't acting like his usual self?" America hoped he was making sense, he can't be the only one to notice how out of character he is!

To his relief, France nodded. "I have. England wasn't…He wasn't as defensive, if I may use the term, as he was like in the last meeting."

"Right?" America gestured, "He's acting so calm and I don't know how to act around him. Like, normally he would listen to what I say and then shoot it down, and his only argument would be something like, 'That isn't how it works, America!' but now he's actually giving more of a reason for me to see his side. It's seriously starting to tick me off!"

Japan debated whether or not he should show the video. This is his last moment to back out of this, but… Would it help England? It will hurt the man, to know his privacy was broken but if it was to help him with whatever had happened then, surely it would be alright.

"He didn't even bristle at any of my insults. Honestly, his replied are half-baked and he looks as if he's trying to hide the _hurt_ when it's as plain as day in his eyes." France noted with a nod.

Japan took a deep breath and approached them. "Uhm _…_ America, France, I have something to show you."

America blinked. "Okay…?"

He took out his phone and showed them the video. "I found him in my home, dancing in an area close to where we held the last world meeting."

The video played and they watched as England sang a song while dancing. The fireflies dancing with him as he laughed to the heavens, he looked as if he was one of the fairies he often spoke about, mythical and enchanting, absolutely out of this world.

France understood what he was singing about. He sang of happiness of finally being home, a long journey that nearly broke him, giving his heart again and again and again, dying multiple times. France frowned as England sang how his name isn't Arthur and that the area of most of his pain had vanished into thin air. What had happened while they weren't looking?

The video ended as England gave another loud laugh.

"I hope you understand why I feel concerned about him." Japan said, keeping the phone in his kimono.

"He was…" France bit his lip as he tried to think of a way to describe his song, "He was happy. He sang of a journey. Love, lose and…and death."

America threw him a confused look. "What? Death?"

"His death," France nodded. "He didn't speak of how he died but that with every death, he came back stronger, or something along those lines."

Japan frowned at the news. "We'll simply have to investigate this further."

As England wandered the gardens, he placed his jewellery back, relaxing at the familiar weight. He tucked some hair behind his ear as he stayed to the path. The earring swung with the gentle breeze that passed him by. He took a deep breath, his eyes falling on the ring. Right, listen to what Arthur said, focus on the now and forget about them.

He laughed drily as he reminded himself that he had entirely forgotten that lesson until Yao reminded him again.

"Hmm, I wonder what Yao would say…" He huffed when he spotted the flowers that he stole from Yao all lines up in a row. "Probably something along the lines of: _'Aiyaa, Arthur, shut up and enjoy the flowers!'_ Now that would be funny."

He didn't notice China in the background, taking a seat between two shrubs, the bench lining up to where England had just walked by. Confused, China listened to the man's mutterings.

" _Vita non est expectantibus te capere spiritum._ " Latin? Why is he saying something in that language, was he caught? "Hah, it _does_ sound cooler in Latin. I should keep going, those flowers remind me too much of him."

England left without a final glance at the flowers.

China scoffed and shook his head, "Westerners," Just who is this 'Yao' person?

Lost in thought, England couldn't help but think about how strange it was that he fell in love quickly. Perhaps it was more of a compulsion from the play and the room. He didn't fall in love with Vash after all, they were merely good friends.

"Still, it was weird how Gilbert went from the go-to antagonist in most of the plays to a fallen knight who fell in love." Maybe the room wanted to endear him to Gilbert, like some sort of apology to the man for using him so much.

Prussia raised an eyebrow when he spotted England walking by himself. He looked…vulnerable like this. The expression on his face makes him want to go up and help him for some strange reason. As he kept an eye out for him, he noticed all the jewellery on him. He looked like he went through his old pirate stuff and wore some out of nostalgia!

"I wonder…" He narrowed his eyes and yanked on the knife.

The knife grew to the same size, adding the same details and looking as sharp as he remembers it to be.

"So it does work," England said with a sigh. Tired as he may be, the familiar feel of the knife reminded him of what he left behind. "Well, at least Gilbert won't be rotting in a cell now."

Prussia didn't know why he felt as if this Gilbert guy looked like him but he has this feeling that he does. His red eyes settled onto England's form as he kept the knife.

"Hmm, 'Into the Bluebell Woods' sounds like a nice title for a song. I'll take note of that," England went on his way, the bracelet catching Gilbert's eye on his way out.

England looked less defensive and more lost. He should talk to West about this.

* * *

America looked outside the window, his phone to his ear, on the other line he can hear Francis down in the garden, _watching_ (it's not stalking, Japan!) as England took another round in the garden before heading back upstairs.

" _America, target is heading back to the meeting room. I suggest you move before we lose him. I'll go through the elevator, target prefers walking. I should hopefully be there before him. France, over and out."_ The phone clicked and the call ended. America rushed to catch up to England as the elevator pinged from the end of the hall.

"We'll talk later, America." France winked cheekily and headed over to the meeting room. America stayed in the corridor, keeping a look out for England.

In the end, they weren't able to find out much other than some guys named Arthur, Yao and Gilbert but America knew there was more to it. Luckily for them but unluckily for England, the meeting would be spanning to a week.

The next day Prussia, Germany, Japan, France and America somehow learnt that they were all watching over England out of concern.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Germany asked.

America crossed his arms, showing a rare moment of seriousness. "Isn't it obvious? We should work to find out the bottom of this and address the heart of the issue. There must be a reason for why England is acting like this."

France hummed in agreement. "America is right. I've known him far longer than anyone in this room has and never have I seen him look so tired and hurt as I have yesterday."

"I hope I can help in any way possible. I do not wish for a friend of mine to remain hurt." Japan bowed a little. "Please, let me know what I can do."

"It's only right if I join in too!" Prussia let out a laugh, "I was the one who told West after all."

The next day Italy, Romano, China, Russia and Spain joined the party.

The day after that, America dragged in Canada to help them.

Thus the 'Find-Out-What-Happened-To-England' Squad came to be. They aren't as close to figuring out what happened as they were when America first found out about England though…

"Argh!" America groaned. "At this rate, the meeting week will end and we'll never find out!"

It was Canada who spoke up about a lead. "Uhm, I did see England drawing on a sketchbook occasionally. There's a notebook that he flips through a lot, like he's rereading something. Most of the time he looks…sad."

"Sad?" For once, everyone was listening intently to him.

Canada gained more confidence from this and nodded his head. "Yeah, he gets this faraway look and when I passed him by, he said, 'Oh, hello, Matthew' which is strange because I wouldn't expect to be noticed, especially when he's distracted and he called me 'Matthew' instead of Canada."

"Come to think of it…" Russia hummed, "He called me 'Ivan' once but then he said that's a fluke because he was eating one of America's candies. I don't get how 'Russia' can sound like 'Ivan' though."

They all spoke about the things they've noticed. The way he actually smiled at them, how his words were as if they were close.

"I saw him when he was asleep, passed out on the table of the meeting room." France sighed. "I heard him talking in his sleep."

The room went silent as France recounted what he had heard. "He was crying, something about how he did care, that it wasn't fake. He cried, about love and, a play? It was strange. It sounded as if he had went through a journey and with each place he went to, he fell in love. Then he screamed and when I woke him up, his eyes were hazy and he was shaking."

"That settles it then. It has to be in that notebook of his or his sketchbook." Germany finalized. Finally, they have a game plan for him.

Get the sketchbook, look through it and confront him about it.

* * *

England took his customary lunch walk, glad to have a reprieve. He's been getting better, having been exposed to them enough times that the nightmares are subsiding. However, he's sure that he slipped up somehow. Here's to hoping that the rest don't figure it out.

"Target is leaving the area." Matthew said, talking into his walkie-talkie. America had somehow acquired them. How? They don't know but it's useful.

"Alright, Hero dropping in to acquire the items,"

Matthew smothered a snort. All those bad action moves must be getting to his head. He should make a mental note to watch National Treasure and Indiana Jones, maybe that might cancel out the pretty bad movie influences.

He watched as America passed by the bag and dropped a candy out of the pretence of being too excited to get it out properly. America reached into the bag, making sure the cameras wouldn't be able to pick it up. (Not like it will, Matthew thought, Germany's keeping charge of it.) Matthew can admit that America's a good actor, the way he pretended naturally. It's almost scary to think about it and it's at those times that he can't help but look at America with wary eyes.

"Item acquired, mission complete." America smirked into his walkie-talkie and walked away to their separate meeting room.

Germany replied on his, "Good, my job is done, all it'll see is you walking by the bag. They'll have to look for it in order to spot the difference."

"I feel like what we did was a crime," Japan said nervously as Germany and his brother entered their faux meeting room.

"Oh relax, Japan!" Prussia replied with a cocky grin, "It's to help him, remember?"

Japan nodded, "Right, let's get this over with before he comes back and notices it's gone."

They gathered around the sketchbook and opened it, finding the first picture to be him falling down a hole. The next one had him in a plain white room and a coloured poster. The back of that page had his handwriting.

 _ **Play One**_

 _Profile:_

 _'Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 23_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British-American_

 _Occupation: Professional Violinist_

 _Backstory: Arthur Kirkland is an orphaned boy who shined bright as a talented violinist. However, though many families have tried to adopt him, they later couldn't as they felt he was being too much to handle with his strong distrust for these families as he used to be living on the streets. As he went through high school, he met a man named Alfred Jones who then became his boyfriend as they bonded over being orphans who were picked up from the streets. Arthur is now a successful violinist who composes his own music and making a name for himself in the world of music.'_

Beside it, there's a scene where he's standing in front of…America?

"Hey what?!" America blinked, "I didn't even see him when he went quiet and all that."

Germany shook his head and pointed at the names, "That isn't you. It's a person named 'Alfred' and this one is… Arthur?"

It said Arthur, the man who looked exactly like England smiled at Alfred and the two were gazing into each other's eyes, entirely at ease.

The words written bellow is in cursive and France read it out loud. "It says here, _'May I kiss you?'_ were they together?"

"Never mind that, let's move on to the next one." China snipped, his hand guiding it to show another scene where France is smiling at England, their arms showing matching rose tattoos. Beside it, there was another strange writing.

 _ **Play Two**_

' _Name: Arthur Kirkland_

 _Age: 23_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Nationality: British_

 _Occupation: English Teacher_

 _Backstory: An English teacher who went to America in order to escape the harsh memories of his home going up in flames, Arthur Kirkland is now teaching at a school called 'Hetalia High'. No one knows his secret about his tattoos thanks to the fact he always wears long sleeves. However, while he fights a lot with the French teacher, Francis Bonnefoy, no one knows him as well as Francis does. This leads him to suspect that Francis is in fact his Enemy and Soul mate._

 _Note: Today is the anniversary of when his home went up in flames. His three brothers died in the house with only him being able to escape.'_

"His name is Francis," Germany read.

They kept flipping through pages, finding a profile, a play number and people who look like them. As it got cute, romantic or sad, it started depicting a mansion, a clock and all of them. Each of it showed something different, they've practically memorised the human names that accompanied their faces.

They gasped as it depicted death, Arthur's tears dropping over the still face of Francis that they knew was slack with the grip of death. Then they continued flipping it until it showed Arthur dying as Alfred held his and Matthew's hand.

Then it showed another scene, rewinding back to the start if the profile on the side would be to believe.

Soon they've reached the end and there they found their counterparts escaping and then, it showed Arthur-no, it said England there, escaping the room.

Then it showed a sunset of the exact same place where Japan had recorded him dancing and laughing.

The bell rang, calling them back in the meeting room. America took it with him and they rushed to find England there with a scowl, the room is empty.

"You should be lucky that this time block is set for the G8 only. Though, I can allow for Spain to be here," England crossed his arms at them. "Who took it?"

America handed it back to England with a guilty look on his face. "Look, I'm sorry England, but-"

"Save it for later America." He said behind gritted teeth.

England sighed tiredly. "You weren't supposed to see this but knowing America, he showed it off."

They shuffled guilty but Germany looked at him seriously. "We tried to find out what had happened to you. You were acting differently. Knowing you, we knew you would simply hide it better."

England looked down at the floor and finally fixed himself until he was wearing his jewellery properly. Then he rolled up his sleeves to reveal the two tattoos on his arms. He took out the notebook.

"What you saw in that sketchbook happened to me. I was Arthur. Each of you had a human side. They looked like you, sounded like you, acted like you." He paused and leaned on the table behind him. "After each, well, to be simple they're various worlds, maybe dimensions, I'm not sure. I gain a sort of memento. I got a violin from my first time, when I kissed with Alfred, who if you've noticed, resembled America. The roses from Francis, the necklace from Kiku, soon it reached a point where I was used to gaining something after each world."

He laughed bitterly. "In those worlds, I fell in love, I got hurt, I was killed, I had well, I suppose the word would be tortured."

England looked at each of them carefully, "So, I'm sure you've all had some idea of what had happened to me. I'm getting over it, it helps that I've seen your face but please," Green eyes tearing up as he repeated one more time, " _Please. Don't make me tell you everything._ I've grown close to each of you, when your human counterparts and I were locked in a mansion and I miss that camaraderie."

America was the first to step up, outspoken and young as he replied. "Don't worry England, we're here for you! We may not know what had happened but I can tell that the least that I can do for you is give you company."

France stepped up with an enigmatic smile, "Well, no time like the present, _oui?_ We can still have that bond that you had, stronger even if you wish."

Japan smiled politely. "Don't forget, England, I ran behind my boss' back to stay allies with you. Do you think I would stay behind while you are clearly in need of companionship?"

One by one, they stepped up, reminding him that he isn't alone and England?

He began to cry.

He had missed this, hearing his name, his proper _country_ name spilling out with ease. He missed how much he had wanted this, getting cheap copies, knowing it wasn't them and now he has the real thing. It aches so much to see them knowing that he's the only one that knows of the mansion and the different plays he's gone through but it's worth it.

It's so damn worth it to know they still care about him. He's so happy to know they care and as he cried, they each moved to circle around him, comforting him, even the strict Germany placed a hand on his shoulder.

This, England knew, would be the start of that bond he misses.

As the members all gathered around to remind him of the fact he isn't alone, England felt more at home than ever.

He's finally home.

* * *

Vita non est expectantibus te capere spiritum = Life doesn't wait for you to catch your breath. (Latin translation, hopefully at least somewhat accurate!) **A lovely call back to what Yao told him in the chapter 'Flowering Graves'.**

 **The end! I'm so grateful to all of my readers, be it a random guest who's stopping by or a person who stuck around till the end. Many thanks to all of** **you who favourited or followed, believe me when I say this: I did an HRE roll in the bed because of how happy it made me feel to see that someone followed or favorited it.**

 **(To cookiesNcream1703: I practically memorised your username by now, I looked forward to each and every review. It's kinda funny actually, because cookies and cream is my favourite ice cream flavour.)**

 **On another note, I'm glad that I managed to actually finish this seeing as I'm the person who doesn't finish projects at all. I mean, in writing this chapter I was distracted by binging on Mili songs (I love them so much, you can find them on youtube) and because I was watching ManlyBadassHero's gameplay of this beautiful Eastern Asian styled game called 'Don't Distrub' which is about the afterlife. (Watch it, it's so beautiful and simple but the symbolism used there is wonderfully picked and executed well. Music is also a really good touch there. Also, it's done in watercolour, what's not to like about it.)**

 **I'm getting distracted, okay, as for what I'm planning on writing next, well… I do have a Medieval Fantasy AU of Harry Potter to work on and I do have a planned multi-chapter Hetalia fic (that I am not done planning yet, lol but it's based on this weird dream I had!) so look forward to those.**

 **Thank you and I'll hopefully see you guys in the next fanfic?**


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